Ranma: On The Road Again
by BTB
Summary: Ranma 12AU: The initial meeting doesn't go well and Ranma and Akane bolt from the Tendo dojo.They each plan to take control of their lives and defy their fathers' plans to join the Schools of Anything Goes! 'What are you thinkin', Tomboy' AU universe.
1. Chapter 1

**RANMA ½** is the creation of Takahashi Rumiko – all rights belong to her and her authorized distributors, Shonen Sunday Comics, Shogakukan, Kitty TV and Viz Communications.

The characters are used without the permission of the above. This fan-fiction is in no way meant to infringe upon their legal and financial rights nor does the author in any way benefit financially from this endeavor. This work is done in appreciation to the hours of enjoyment the above creations have given me.

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**On the Road Again**

**Chapter 1**

The young Japanese man strode down the road; his eyes, a peculiar shade of blue, flashed in the light of the setting sun. His black hair was bound back in a braided pigtail that still allowed heavy bangs to shadow those flashing eyes. His lithe, muscular frame was garbed in a red mandarin-collared silk shirt, black canvas pants gathered at the ankles, and black slippers over strong well-formed feet. On his back rode a large, worn, much-repaired pack. Ranma Saotome was no stranger to the hardships of the road. His eyes sought out his companion.

On the other side of the road and slightly behind him, walked a young woman with dark blue-black hair that fell to her shoulder blades, restrained by a wide velvet ribbon. Her eyes, normally a warm brown, flashed darkly and her lips were thinned in irritation. She wore a sturdy but feminine brown poplin jumper over a white blouse. White, calf-high socks and sturdy walking shoes protected her feet. On her back was a smaller assembly of frame, pack and bedroll. Akane Tendo was more familiar with the schoolyard than the road, but was almost mulishly determined to learn. Her feet were killing her but she'd rather die than let Ranma get the idea that she was a weak girl. She caught him looking and glared.

Ranma jerked his eyes front and scowled. How the hell had he gotten into this mess? All he'd wanted to do was go to China and find a cure for his curse, and he got stuck babysitting this brutal tomboy. On top of that, she was technically his fiancée. He rubbed his lumps and cursed silently. Damn Pops…

Akane glowered at his back. She was a martial artist, too. She just had to train a bit. All he had to do was help her get the training she needed and they were both free. Why did he have to be so difficult? They'd get to China eventually. After all, he'd trained there, so she intended to do so as well.

They both sighed. If only things had been different…

"I'm Ranma Saotome… Sorry 'bout this."

"Hi! I'm Akane. Wanna be friends?"

"I'm just glad you're not a boy…"

"…take a bath…"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"I'm Ranma… Sorry 'bout this…"

"Choose any one of my daughters. She'll be your fiancée…"

"Oh, he wants Akane!"

"Yes, Akane! After all, she hates boys and he's half girl!"

"…and I'm better built, too! Ha, ha-ha… EeeP-!"

_WHAMMMM!_

"Now that, he had coming," Genma gulped at the sight of a heavy table _broken_ over a redhead's noggin. Ranma did not wake until well after a certain tomboy had finished her bath.

oOo

The table made all the difference.

Out of the many multiverses that are home to some recognizable portion of the spirit that is Ranma Saotome, in this one a table broke and two old idiots got a little more sauced during their reunion than they should haveThe phrase,_ in vino veritas_ (in wine, truth) has rarely applied to these two men, but, as was more often the case, the 'wine' acted on Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome and induced a condition more along the lines of _fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt _(men believe what they want to believe).

"Yah know, Soun ol' (hic) buddy," the senior Saotome slurred blurrily. "Thosh kidsh of ours are jus' (hic) jus' too stub-uruh-burn." The two leaned across one corner of the common room table. Not visible were several thick phone books supporting the table's center, establishing a modicum of stability.

Several empty liter bottles of saké sat at their elbows already. They had just filled one another's saucers for the next round. The point of discussion was, of course, their violently opposed children.

"Itsh true, (sob) Genma. Sho true… (sniffle)"

The two men nodded sagely over their saucers and ruminated on the unforeseen opposition of said children. Their insults, while childish, were quite sincere and biting. Besides the damaged table, two shoji, one leading to the furo and one in the dojo, would also have to be replaced. They had finally sent the children to their rooms before anything irreplaceable, like their fathers, might be broken. Now that they were trying to recover from the exhausting experience of attempting to manipulate a teenage relationship, they groped for their liquid courage. Genma, veteran of decades of scheming, also groped for inspiration, something he often found at the bottom of a bottle.

"S-soun... Ya know, Soun ol' pal… I bet thosh two r-r-really like each other."

"Do ya-you thing so, ol' fren?" Soun asked hopefully.

"Sure!" Genma said encouragingly. "Any… anyone that complains (hic!) that much is hiding something. The-they jus' got off to a b-ba-a-a-ad start."

"They certinalby did, Gemna… I mean Genma." Soun nodded wisely. His head continued down to thunk against the tabletop. "Ow." He wobbled back up again, thoughtfully rubbing the mark on his brow.

"We can' let (hic) let 'em think doo much… I mean, too much 'bout it," Genma continued, "(hic) they'll never gedagether, I mean, get to-gether-er (hic)." Genma, despite his drink-induced fuzziness didn't miss a drop as he tossed back another saucer of sake. "Besides, we're der fat-fathers, dammit! The-they owe us." He blinked owlishly. "Isha disgrace…"

"(SOB!) You're right ol' fren… So dish-grashable! The skools will NEBER je BOINED! (OH-HO-Ho-hoo-whooooo!)" Soun sobbed a veritable Niagara of tears.

"Dohn… Don't cry ol' friend (hic!) Here'sh wha'… here's…" The bald martial artist shook himself and rallied. "I have a plan…"

"You have a plan, Genma, old friend? (whimper) Soun's eyes swam like two huge, goopy pools on his lean face. "Really?" he added in a squeak.

Genma blinked at Soun distractedly before picking up his straying train of thought. He elaborated. "To-morrorrow, Soun, ol' pal, we pet a briest… uh… Get a priest! Yeh! A priest and we marry our ungradeful… ungrateful chil-ren right a-away before they can ge' in any more trouble…"

Soun in his liquefied state treated this statement as wisdom from Kamisama, himself. "Do you think it might work?"

"Of… Of corsh hit will… I mean… Afer all, if they…they're married, they'll hafa get along, right?" Genma leered. "Jus' let good ol' nature take itsh coursh." They toasted the concept and broke into a very poorly done variation of a Broadway song. "Th-they're getting' ma-married inna mornin'…"

Strong drink has never lent itself to secrecy. Four sets of ears heard their drunken plans and came to conclusions of their own.

oOo

Kasumi stood quietly in the kitchen where she had been going through those final touches that made her home-making a work of art. "Oh… They can't! They're too young!" Almost, she advanced from the kitchen to confront the two. All of the Tendo girls had tempers but their fuses were set for different triggers. Kasumi's was triggered by disharmony. The thought of her volatile sister being forced together with this boy she knew so little about appalled her. Her instincts about Ranma said he just might be a diamond – rough yet, but true. Yet those rough edges would rub her sister raw if they were forced together, and her anger might very well fracture even Ranma's unyielding spirit. She trembled with the need to go out there right now and set those two old fools straight!

At odds with this impulse was the knowledge that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, her words would bounce off their thick skulls like water off oiled leather. In their present state, they were blind, deaf and dumb to anything they did not choose to believe. Tomorrow, however…

Kasumi nodded and inventoried her stores. Hmmm… Habanera peppers, wasabi, extra hot… She considered. Yes, her mother's hangover cure would work. She'd administer it at first light and give those two foolish men a piece of her mind!

oOo

Nabiki shook her head, her eyes flashing. She sat at her desk, her homework forgotten. This was… not good. The Tendo temper was leashed but definitely aggravated. Finances were her pet peeve and this bombshell threatened everything they had.

An engagement was one thing. No real harm done. Her sister would be forced to deal with a boy who was obviously her better in the Art yet was also clueless enough to be harmless. Ranma's curse, viewed from the distance she had placed herself at, was amusing and probably profitable. The opportunities that would occur when a certain bokken-wielding idiot and his hentai horde sought information in an attempt to spike Ranma's wheels were virtually limitless. But _marriage_? She shuddered. The noise… The violence… The property damage! And opportunity? Right now, fear of Akane's skills balanced the attraction of her charm and looks.

Her eyes widened as she considered this potential future. Tatewaki Kuno had been fantasizing about her sister since she moved up to the high school. He was an unstable, spoiled brat, but a _rich_, predictable, unstable, spoiled brat. His 'honor' would demand he give up on Akane and turn elsewhere. His ego would demand revenge for being denied his 'prize'. She would lose her biggest customer for Akane's pictures and the Tendos would gain a wealthy enemy bent on punishing them for the perceived dishonor.

She saw no way to channel or control the insanity that would ensue, and that wasn't even counting whatever idiocy was following the Saotomes. She recognized Genma for what he was, a hustler, through and through. It took one to know one, but Genma was a rank amateur at hustling compared to Nabiki - a clever fool. She'd had to deal with one or two like him in her brief time on the earth and they never covered their tracks properly or brought closure to their plans. Trouble _always_ followed them.

She tapped her pencil once, then rose and rummaged in the back of her closet. She retrieved a thick manila folder and opened it. Within were copies of documents, records of past tax returns as well as records of the investments the Tendos possessed that maintained the house and property. Expenses had exceeded their returns just enough to slowly eat away at their principal in the years since their mother had died. Her father had stopped teaching any students except for her little sister. Risks…

She opened a second envelope and withdrew the copies she'd made only last year when she found them. They had detailed debts not listed on their accounts. Honor debts made, in some cases before the Tendo girls had been born. What she held in her hands was a double-edged sword that could strike her down even as she used it. She nodded. She would get up early and beat them to the punch. Maybe she could get Kasumi to make their mother's old hangover cure. She smiled grimly. After they got through with _that _experience, she'd show them what fear really was!

oOo

Akane sat very still on her bed. 'Daddy… How could you?' she thought. She'd thought she was her father's heir to the Tendo Ryu, Mutsabetsu Kakuto. She'd thought he _loved_ her…

That boy! She tried not to think about him. He was like a bundle of piano wire sheathed in flesh. Hard… Unbelievably fast… As a girl, Ranma was the same, except for her frontal development. And that hair! She'd never seen hair of that shade before, not even on gaijin! A boy who became a girl? It was… sickening; that's what it was! What a pervert he must be, yet… When she'd asked the lonely looking redhead if she would like to be friends, there had been such relief, such seemingly honest happiness, that she'd felt pierced to the heart.

She punched the bed beside her and whimpered in confusion. No! He was a _boy_! Boys were perverted. Boys were _jerks_! Boys thought nothing of dragging you off into the dark to… She shivered.

She would not stand for it. She would not meekly go along with their plans. She would not step aside for a rude lout of a boy no matter how good he was. She would not let Ranma take her school, her name _or_ her body!

Akane took a deep breath and let it out. She needed time… Yet from the plans she overheard, that wouldn't happen if she remained here. She ran her hand over the duffle bag and the open, partially loaded pack beside it. Her teary eyes sought out her clock. Just a few more hours…

oOo

Their plans made, Genma left Soun to attempt the steps to the guest room. It took several tries and the trip was fraught with peril, but he finally made it. He paused at the doorway to the dark room. Was something wrong? Damn, was he ever drunk! Oh, well. He'd just sleep it off. He was good at that. The morning would come soon and with it, the fruition of all his planning. He entered.

The whole house shook for a brief instant.

Soun, snored, his forehead on the table. He never felt a thing.

oOo

'Damn Pops! Who do they think they're kidding? Akane thinks I'm a freak and a pervert! I haven't a prayer of her accepting me like this!' Ranma finished tying his old man up. He had to be extra thorough as the old fart was a master at escaping bonds. He shook his head to chase away the memory of a dark-haired girl and her words; 'do you wanna be friends?'

'No… No! I have no time for this fiancée idiocy of theirs. I'm going back to China, old man, and you won't stop me.'

Ranma finished trussing his unconscious father up with rope from their pack. There were limits to how long even the best knots and rigging would hold the old bastard, but all he needed was a good head start. The trick here was not only to restrain his father, but also to keep him comfortable enough to avoid waking him up from his alcohol and offspring induced slumber. Ranma hefted his pack, then paused and set it down again. He took a step to one side and moved to his father's pack.

Quickly, he sought out his father's stash of cash. He had no intention of swimming to China again if he could help it. He set aside his father's bedroll and opened the top of the pack. He grimaced as he pulled aside dirty clothes, underwear, then scowled as he pulled out several plastic-wrapped packs of instant ramen. "Ya been holdin' out on me, old man," he growled. He set the food aside and pulled out a package wrapped in brown paper. Curious, he unwrapped the package. Several books and pamphlets were revealed.

"Huh! N-nekoken…" he read with a shiver. "Jeez… Pop's training manuals. Hmmm…" He set them aside. "Pop knows this stuff. He don't need 'em." He dug deeper. "Ahhh!" But it was only a few thousand yen. "Shit." Not even enough for train fare, much less a trip across the sea. "Oh well. I can always stow away or work for passage." He stuffed the bills and change in his pocket. He pulled out a scrap of paper, a stub of a pencil and wrote as legibly as he could.

Ranma stuffed the note in the front of his father's gi. He felt a strange reluctance about the path he was about to take. He packed the items he had appropriated and closed his pack with efficient movement. He sighed deeply then and regretfully ran a hand over his father's bald head. "See ya, old man." Hefting his pack, he opened the window and glided over the sill. The die was cast.

He silently made his way around the corner of the house, pausing beside the dojo. The well-kept structure gleamed darkly in the light of the moon. He took a moment to reflect on the sparring match he'd had with Akane. He cursed silently in regret. (…wanna be friends?) She might be a violent maniac, but she sure was a _cute_ violent maniac. Not a bad martial artist either, for a girl. She obviously hadn't begun the aerial techniques that Ranma and his father were so expert in, but for someone who worked mostly in two dimensions, she wasn't half bad.

Clouds were moving in and soon would obscure the moon's silvery light. When it did, he would leave. "Hell! Gotta get goin' before I talk myself outa it." He saluted the house with his middle finger. "So long Pops… Tendo. It's been great… _Not_!" He turned and with a short rush leaped the wall. As he did, the clouds obscured the moon and plunged the grounds into darkness. No sweat. He'd land on instinct. He just hadn't expected 'instinct' to be walking around the corner of the wall at this hour of the night. Anticipating only the street, he fumbled his landing.

"Awk!"

"OooF!"

"Eek!"

The shadowy figures regarded each other in the darkness. Both were now seated on the sidewalk, courtesy of Ranma's impetuous leap. Ranma slid free of his pack and stammered an apology, offering his hand to help. "S-s-sorry!"

His landing pad shrugged free of a smaller pack and duffle bag before she staggered to her feet rubbing her posterior. "Oww… You jerk! What do you think you're doing?"

Ranma suddenly recognized the silhouette and voice of his unintentional landing pad. "Aw, man… It's the tomboy."

"Ranma?" Akane's voice went from angry and pained to almost lethal with an undertone of panic. "I won't go back!"

"Huh?"

"You can't make me!"

"Uhhh…" Ranma paused in raising a hand to interrupt.

"Freak! Pervert! You think I'd let you just walk into my life and have your way with me?"

"Have my…?" Ranma's eyebrows tried to climb to the top of his skull. "Tomboy, the only thing I want is outa here."

"I know your kind! All you want to do is get into my panties!"

"Give me a break." He turned away from her in disgust.

Akane tried to clock the pervert but missed, as his response didn't match her expectations. She hesitated. "What?"

"I'm a martial artist…" Ranma glared at her, angry at her baseless accusations. "…and a man."

"So?" she sneered. The clouds scudded from in front of the moon, illuminating his face in silvery planes. The harsh light suddenly made him seem older, more mature and Akane suddenly felt a twinge of doubt at how she'd labeled this cute boy… 'Cute? No, no, no, no...'

Ranma snorted. "A martial artist protects the weak. A man is known by his discipline and his honor. As a man and a martial artist, I have the discipline to ignore distraction or resist temptation." Akane blinked, saying nothing but staring at him. Was she finally listening? Why was she looking at him like that? Why did he care? "I mean… like when you walked in on me…" As the clouds obscured the moon again, he missed seeing Akane's eyes narrow as her internal conflict was temporarily resolved. "It would take a lot more than that to bother me."

"Oh?" Akane's tone was deceptively neutral.

"That's right."

"I suppose if a girl, built like your curse, walked in like that, it would be more difficult?"

"Goes without sayin', really," Ranma chuckled unthinking.

Seconds later the outer wall shook under a heavy impact.

"Ow!" Ranma complained from his dent in that structure. "Cut it out, ya over-muscled gorilla-girl."

"Oooooooh!" The girl's form stood with fists clenched at her sides.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he growled, extricating himself from the shattered stone. He scowled as she whirled away to gather her things. "What the heck are _you_ doin' out here anyway?" he asked angrily. 'The nerve of her ambushing me like that,' he added to her self, forgetting he had jumped on her.

She snarled. "Maybe you didn't hear what our parents planned? I'm not sticking around for Daddy and that panda-father of yours to drag some poor old priest over here in the morning."

"Oh, _that_. I heard alright."

"Well let me tell you! _I _wouldn't marry you if you were the last male on earth!" She glared at him. "Even _if_ that could be only _half_ the time!"

Ranma sputtered for a moment. Akane was just beginning to smirk when he retorted, "That goes double for me," he snapped back. Why the hell had he ever hoped to be friends with this… "No wonder you were so happy to see a girl this morning. You're just like your tit-squeezing sister."

Akane blinked confused before the evidence he was laying before her fit together. "I am _not_ a… a… _that_ way!" She swung a fist at him and missed. That slippery, arrogant, conceited _boy_! "And neither is Nabiki, you jerk!" She tried again to tag him, but Ranma flowed like smoke just as he had in their little match that afternoon. She swung around and, inspired, snatched up her duffle bag and swung that.

Ranma blocked, startled when the power she had drove him back a step. The canvas bag, not designed for such abuse, practically exploded. Ranma paused confused as something fresh-laundry-smelling drifted across his head. He pulled it away, glanced at it then glanced again. Panties?

WHAM!

Suddenly he was introduced to the boundary wall again. "You really enjoy doing that, don't you?" he inquired in a muffled voice. He had been re-introduced face-first. The offending article of clothing drifted to the ground.

"I will always take satisfaction out of pounding perverts…" Her vitriol ran down as the realization that her attack had strewn her belongings all over the street sank in. "Oh, no!" Akane complained. "Look what you've done."

"What _I've _done?" Ranma disengaged his features from the rock of the wall and looked around. "You're the one who hit…" Unmentionables were scattered everywhere, along with toiletries, makeup, manga and a loaded schoolbag. Akane flitted from spot to spot, agonizing over her misfortune. In spite of himself, he felt bad. The little sounds of distress reminded him that you weren't supposed to make a girl cry. And well… If things had been different, they might have… "Ummm… Sorry?" he asked.

To Akane it was simply the last straw. Her body trembled, her face screwed up…

…And Ranma pinned her against the wall one hand over her mouth. He'd already heard enough of Soun's histrionics and presumed it might be genetic.

"Jeez!" he hissed. For the most part, their argument had been done in savage whispers up till now. "Don't wake the whole neighborhood. I'd like a little more time to get away." He loosened up his grip and sweated a little. The girl's eyes were huge and he didn't know how to take the look she was giving him. "Listen to me this time, okay? I know I can't be anyone's fiancé like this. So I'm leaving; heading back to China to find a cure." He let up the rest of the way and stepped back when it appeared she would remain silent.

"You… you're leaving?" she asked.

"That's what I was tryin' to say!"

"Just like that?"

Ranma blinked. What did this girl want? "Like what?"

"You…" The dark haired girl began to get angry again. "You walk into our lives… Upset everything… Don't you know I can never go back?" she muttered.

"Never go…? What are you talkin' about?"

"_Jerk!_" she snapped. He barely dodged a very neat, _un_-telegraphed punch. "Don't you understand _anything_?" 'Anything' was said with particular emphasis and venom. Ranma eyed the volatile girl and shut up for the moment. Akane for her part did not continue with a follow-through. They stood in the dark outside the Tendo-ke wall and thought their separate thoughts.

After an uncomfortable pause, Ranma said, "Uh… Look… Ya can't just stand around out here with your stuff scattered all over the place. Whatever yer gonna do, let me help you get this picked up…" He glanced down at the loose unmentionables. "You can pick up the under-things and I'll help ya get this other stuff."

Akane finally nodded and they began to retrieve the contents of her bag.

"So… Yer sayin' yer movin' out till yer old man stops bein' such a pain?" She nodded. "Where were ya headed?" he asked, then caught himself. "Not that it's any of my business…"

"Yuka…" Akane said haltingly. "She's my best friend from school."

Ranma nodded. That was a start. "And after that?"

He sighed when Akane looked puzzled. "Yer old man'll just come get ya, or he'll get her folks ta send ya home," Ranma said reasonably. "So where ya goin' after that?" At Akane's continued silence he added with mild sarcasm, "Ya ain't got a plan, do ya?"

"Shut up!" she snapped. "I… I'll think of something…"

Ranma's lack of patience and social skills chose that moment to really shine. "No looks, no brains and no common sense… Do you have _anything_ goin' for you?"

WHAMMM!

Ranma picked himself up a little while later. "Oh, yeah… a good left. You can go far with a good left." He looked in the direction the dark-haired girl had taken. "But not far enough. Damn." He looked up at the moon, back at the Tendo house then, wondering why he was doing this, jogged down the avenue in Akane's footsteps.

oOo

"Oh, you poor dear!" Yuka's mother wrung her hands. "Trying to force you into an arranged marriage in this day and age."

Akane nodded, her own eyes brimming with tears. "I just couldn't stay there anymore, ma'am."

Yuka's father was a bit less welcoming. "How long would you be staying, Tendo-san?"

"Kentaro! How could she possibly have had time to think such things out?" Yuka and Akane were like spectators at a tennis match. "I'm sure she just needs some time for her father to come to his senses."

Akane winced. Ranma had been right – as much as she hated to admit it. Yuka would probably just be a stop along the way. She had other friends, of course, but perhaps she should consider getting a job to pay for her own apartment. Maybe she should check with Nabiki at school tomorrow to find out what a place of her own would cost. She frowned as the adults argued politely over little points of her impending stay. She had never thought about it, but weren't there rules concerning student employment? As Akane thought back, she remembered something about a girl who'd gotten expelled for working in a bar, but she wouldn't have to do anything like that, surely. She chewed her lip as the pitch and volume of the voices around her changed. Yuka's mom and dad were really beginning to skirt the boundaries of good taste in their 'discussion'. She hadn't realized how her decision might affect others. At some signal between them, her hosts suddenly ceased the argument and began to make arrangements for her stay. Akane looked at Yuka's strained face and winced. Maybe she should have thought of that, too.

Ranma found a comfortable tree limb and settled himself down. He'd had worse resting places in his journeys. Not far away he made out Akane's silhouette on the window shade of a room at her friend's house. He had listened in on the 'discussion' between Yuka's parents and guessed Akane had even less time under their roof than he'd expected. Ranma never gave serious thought to why he was sticking around Nerima. 'I'm just waitin' to tell a certain tomboy 'I told you so',' he decided before falling asleep.

oOo

Morning came and with it retribution. Kasumi stepped briskly, if quietly, down the hall with a vessel that could only be described as a quart stein in her hand. Within, a murky looking semi-liquid swirled. As she turned to go back to the master bedroom, she heard light footsteps on the stairs. "Oh! There you are," came the quiet voice of the middle Tendo daughter. The two sisters paused and considered one another.

Nabiki was still in her pajamas but, for a change, looked alert and ready for the coming confrontation. Under her arm, a folder of papers was neatly tucked. Nabiki nodded to her sister. "Is that…?" she indicated.

Kasumi nodded and swirled the liquid in the mug. "Mother's recipe for hangovers." She raised an eyebrow. "And you?"

Nabiki's smile held little warmth. "Just a few old skeletons. I doubt Daddy will want to dance with them like Tofu does Betty-chan."

Kasumi almost smirked. Tofu was funny at times. Her lips pursed thoughtfully. "Daddy respects Tofu-sensei. Perhaps, if worst comes to worst…"

Nabiki patted her papers. "I don't really expect that to happen."

"Oh, my!" Kasumi glanced away to the master bedroom. "Then I suppose it is time for Daddy to wake up." Together they advanced to roust the bear from his den.

"Father…"

"Ungh…" The pile of cloth stirred.

"Father? It's time to wake up…"

"Unghhh…" This time the response was purely verbal.

"Wakey, wakey, Daddy," Nabiki sing-songed. "I thought you had plans for today. Better get an early start," she cautioned.

Soun groaned. His head pounded. His muscles ached. He felt like hell. If Nabiki was in here, whatever it was, it must be important. But how the hell could he remember with his head pounding like this?

"Here, father," Kasumi's gentle tones came. "This should help."

"Thank you, daughter," Soun said as a large warm cup was placed in his quivering grip. A hair of the dog that bit him would be perfect. As he tilted it toward his lips a spicy odor wafted up. Hmmm… That smelled familiar.

"Let us help you, Father," Kasumi said sweetly.

Soun felt two strong fingers pinch his nose shut while a slight but strong arm circled behind him for support and leverage. He heard Nabiki chirp, "Down the hatch!" as what seemed like an unending stream of warm syrupy liquid cascaded past his tonsils. He coughed and regained some control.

"W-What is the meaning of… _Urp_!" The potion hit bottom and 'bottom' acknowledged its presence.

Suddenly, his head seemed to implode down through his body to meet his toes. His hair shot out of his scalp like hard-driven arrows, only to re-grow like nails being forced from one side of his skull to the other. His skin was flayed away in a thousand tiny cuts and the tissue underneath soaked in brine. He shot to his feet with a mighty shout…

…and fell on his face before them in the position of a supplicant chanting "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! …"

"Oh, brother," Nabiki said. She knelt down to try to meet him eye to eye. "Do you know why we're here?"

"…I'm sor-" Soun's chant stopped abruptly. "Ummm…. No, not really." He seemed to consider for a moment. "By the gods! Kimiko's special medicine…" He jerked to an upright kneeling position. "You got it just right… Ahhhh, Wahhhhhhh!" Suddenly he was wailing in remembrance of his dead wife.

"Oh, dear," Kasumi sighed. Nabiki growled softly, losing patience and prepared to bring out the big guns. She slapped her father with her package of documents.

Soun cowered back. His daughters were acting _scary_! Kasumi had just treated him to Kimiko Tendo's secret, 'I'm so pissed at you I can barely stand it' special hangover cure and Nabiki had just cuffed him with… He looked over the papers and found his hair _really_ standing on end. "Where did you find this?" he croaked.

"Here and there," Nabiki answered casually. "Now… About your plans to sell your youngest daughter off to your deadbeat friend's son?"

"Ha, ha, ha!" Soun sweat-dropped and looked guilty. "Where did you hear that, Nabiki-chan?"

"Last night. 9:24 P.M. Fifth bottle of saké. Would you prefer the tape recording?"

Soun swallowed.

"Getting drunk and making inconsiderate promises last night might not be so bad, if I didn't suspect this wasn't the first time." Nabiki tapped what looked like a photocopied napkin. "Does the name 'Chardin' ring any bells?"

Soun blanched.

Kasumi shook her head. "Father, father, father…"

Soun, braced by his daughters, wobbled down the hall. "But I can't!" he whined. "When Genma and I trained under the… the Master…" He made a ward-off gesture against evil. "…we promised to unite our schools and families one day."

"Daddy…" Nabiki growled.

"It's the only way I can revive the school," Soun whined. "Ranma is obviously an excellent martial artist…"

"And what is Akane?" Kasumi asked, a hint of steel in her voice.

Soun winced. "Your sister is good. Very good, in fact, for her age, but…"

"She's a girl?" Nabiki shook her head. She had no illusions about the chauvinism of the average Japanese. Even other women might think twice about having a woman as the dojo master. They stopped before the Saotome's door.

"That's partly it," their father admitted. "Akane is also too impatient." He sighed then. "That's partly my fault. That, and I was unable to teach her the higher elements of our Art." He sobbed softly but reached for the door. "I lost too much focus when your mother died. Now Ranma…" He stopped, eyes boggling. The girls pushed past him.

Inside, in the middle of the two futons laid out for their guests, was a snoring Genma Saotome, trussed up like a turkey. Nabiki glanced around the room and noted that the elder Saotome's pack had been rifled and that a certain, pigtailed martial artist was not in residence in either gender.

"Oh, my," Kasumi said sweetly. "The dojo's hope is flown."

As Soun's subsequent copious weeping failed to wake up his longtime comrade, the two sisters treated themselves to the interesting sight of the trussed Saotome trying to claw his throat out after a single draught of Mother's special medicine.

Untied, Genma sat shocked for a moment as he recovered from the 'medicine' he'd been forced to swallow. Nabiki smirked as Kasumi politely asked if he needed another. She hadn't seen a survival response like that since her sister last tried to cook. Finally he looked around. "Where's Ranma?"

"Good question," Nabiki smirked. She noticed the paper sticking out of his gi. Plucking it free, she read aloud:

_Pop, ya left me no choice. I'm goin' back to China. Ya can't expect Tendo's daughters to take me seriously when I look like this. Ever think they might have lives of their own or even boyfriends? Except for that grabby girl, they didn't seem very happy about fiancés even before they found out about the curse. And afterwards? Feh! _

_Don't bother to try and follow me. I ain't goin' the way we came. I'll keep studying and checkin' out dojo, so don't worry. I'll be back after I've found a cure. _

_Ranma_

"_Grabby_ girl?" Nabiki frowned.

"Oh, dear," Kasumi said almost tearfully. "I apologize for being such a poor hostess…"

"Don't apologize, sis," Nabiki drawled. "They've hardly been good guests."

"Drat that boy!" Genma shouted, examining his pack. "I can't believe he did this to me! The ingrate!"

"Saotome," Soun tried to interrupt. "About our plan…"

"Think nothing of it, Tendo." Genma turned with fire in his eye. "I'll hunt the ungrateful brat down and have him back for the wedding by lunchtime."

Nabiki and Kasumi rolled their eyes. "This is a school day, Mr. Saotome," Nabiki said with finality. "Daddy, I have to get ready for school. I suggest you have a good long talk with your friend here." She patted her documents. Soun winced and smiled weakly.

"Oh, my! Akane should be up by now! I better wake her," Kasumi exclaimed, turning to the door with the duck on it. "Akane! It's time for school."

Genma frowned at his sweating friend. "What do we need to discuss, Tendo?"

Kasumi shot back out the door of her sister's room a note clutched in her hand. "Akane's gone!"

oOo

Ranma snorted slightly as the sun filtered through the leaves of his tree. "Alright," he said as he came fully awake. "The dew musta stayed close to the ground. Still a guy!" He rolled off his branch and flipped to the ground.

A passing car sent up a spray of water, drenching him. "Aw, man…" she complained, dripping. Grumbling she set to work, wringing out what she could. "Watcha lookin' at?" she challenged a pair of passing salarymen as she wrung out her shirt.

"Damn perverts," Ranma grumbled as they decided the crazy girl was a little too scary to ogle and sprinted away down the sidewalk. Ranma scowled again as she pulled the damp silk back on. A sweat-drop appeared as a passing mother hid her child's gaze from the sight of a 'shameless hussy flaunting her wares'. It began to occur to Ranma that what he'd been doing was a little… wrong. She was picking through her pack for some breakfast when a certain voice caused her head to snap up. Akane.

Akane bowed deeply to Yuka's mother. "I'm sorry to be such a bother…" she began.

"It's really no bother, Akane," the older woman replied. "Dearest just gets gruff right before payday." She flinched and hid her face with her hand. Flustered, she waved and shut the door.

Akane sighed. Definitely a short-term stay, if she wanted to keep her friend.

Yuka put a brave face on it. "C'mon, Akane! We can get there early and bypass your admirers."

Akane groaned at her description of the Hentai Horde and shook her head in disgust. "No. They'd just think they were winning."

Yuka sighed. Together, they set out for Furinkan High School where they were first year students. Yuka wondered about her friend sometimes. Pretty, bright and incredibly violent – at least to those morons who followed the Kuno Doctrine. Akane had many admirers but few close friends. Many of their peers were afraid to get too close to the martial artist, especially after she first clocked Kuno. Even she and Sayuri weren't as close to Akane as they were to each other. Akane had also been distanced from the girl athletes as she refused to go along with their petty rivalries.

"Lets take our time, then," Yuka offered. "Besides, those idiots, they line up like you would for concert tickets."

They meandered along chatting, rounding the corner with an… "Eeep!"

Akane windmilled her arms before regaining her balance. Yuka stared bug-eyed at the very petite red-haired girl who had popped up before them like a jack in the box. For all Yuka knew, she'd popped out of that huge pack on the ground behind her. Curiously, Akane seemed to know her… and didn't seem to like her, either.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Akane's voice dripped with malice. She looked Ranma up and down. "And like that?"

"Hey! This is the public street, tomboy!" Ranma, who had stood up suddenly to avoid being stepped on, smirked at her. "Like this? Can't stand the competition, huh?" She leaned wa-a-ay back to avoid a swipe from Akane's bookbag. "Slow…"

"Wow! Are you a martial artist, too?" Yuka gasped. She had just barely seen Akane's move.

Ranma grinned. "I'm the best you'll ever see."

"Ranma, you're an arrogant, stuck-up jerk!" Akane accused. She refrained from making another attack. She wanted to save her dignity, and her strength, for the challenge ahead. "I thought you were leaving?"

"It's not like I got a schedule or nothin'," Ranma shrugged. "Besides, I wanted to make sure ya got to Yuka's last night."

"You _followed_ me?"

Yuka grinned. So… the new girl wanted to be friends? Having Akane's undisputed 'I am the best athlete' attitude challenged could be interesting. This new girl acted cool, too! Wild hair, she talked like a boy, she… Yuka glanced down when Ranma jiggled while protesting Akane's accusations. Hmmm… she didn't wear a bra… With her development, _that _would have to change. In fact, Red acted like she didn't know how a girl should act… Suddenly, she thought she understood.

"I bet you lost your mother when you were young," Yuka suddenly stated, interrupting Akane as she was about to blow up at Ranma again. Yuka frowned slightly; Akane usually was more charitable. This new girl just needed some guidance. The other teens boggled at her.

"H-how did you know," Ranma asked in a small voice. That was freaky.

"You dress and talk like a boy, and you don't wear a bra," Yuka pointed out smugly. "I bet you've only been around your father most of your life."

"Well… sorta…" Ranma had to admit. She twiddled her fingers nervously.

"That's not quite it," Akane muttered.

"Why don't you walk with us?" invited Yuka. "Akane won't bite."

"I might pummel, though," Akane growled softly.

Ranma gave Akane a flat stare at that comment. While they were in their staring contest, Yuka tried to pick up Ranma's pack. It didn't budge. "What have you got in here?" she wondered aloud. "Rocks?"

Ranma broke off the staring match to easily heft the heavy pack to her shoulder with one hand. "My stuff." At Yuka's stare, she added, "Been on the road mosta my life. Don't have much, but what I do have, I got in here." She patted her load and shrugged into the straps.

Yuka boggled when the fasteners popped on Ranma's shirt as the weight and position of the straps forced the fabric tight across the redhead's breasts.

Ranma grimaced, grumbled and re-adjusted her shirt while Akane made snide remarks. But Yuka looked at her so expectantly, she grudgingly fell in step with them as they continued to school. Yuka ignored the death threats emanating from Akane though she noted her friend had picked up the pace, as if to spend as little time in Ranma's presence as she could. On the way, she tried to discover more about the new girl.

She chatted about girl-things to scope out the territory, and quickly discovered Ranma was ignorant about normal girl activities, and was horribly flustered about discussing feminine hygiene. This had the positive effect of improving Akane's humor but Ranma's fair skin soon nearly matched her hair. Wanting to avoid embarrassment Yuka quickly found the field of discussable topics narrowed down to just a few.

Ranma's travels were like a heroic epic and her recounts of exotic places caught their attention. It was heavily laden with descriptions of temples she had visited and dojo she had trained at. Ranma had visited all of the Japanese islands including Okinawa, passed through Korea and traveled completely across China, stopping at the famous Shaolin Temple and journeying beyond all the way to the foothills of the Himalayas.

She had trained or sparred with masters in over a dozen different martial arts, and had a scholar's grasp of not only fighting styles, but of healing techniques to go with them. She also had a solid grasp of basic cooking.

"I wouldn't have suspected that such a _boyish_ girl as you could cook, Ranma," Akane jibed.

Yuka rolled her eyes. "Don't throw stones in glass houses, Akane," she warned.

Akane colored and sighed. "Arrrgh… I can too cook… I…" She suddenly deflated. "I just don't get it! Anybody can cook! Why can't I?" She threw up her hands in disgust. "Kasumi makes it seem so… effortless."

Ranma smirked. "Can't cook, neither?" She cut her teasing short at Yuka's glare. "Hey, ya only got so much time in a day," she relented. "You do martial arts instead of cooking." She jerked a thumb at herself. "I'm only good at cooking cause Pops always felt cookin' was beneath him, so I'd get stuck with it. 'It's the student's job to serve his master, boy,' he'd say." Ranma's girlish contralto deepened to imitate her father. She hesitated as Yuka suddenly looked teary-eyed.

"How horrible!" she sobbed. "Your father even calls you '_boy'_? You poor thing! He's denied you your femininity!"

Ranma gave a hysterically cackling Akane a sour look and waved Yuka's concerns away. "That really ain't a problem, Yuka-san." She turned back to their subject. "But if I left it up ta Pops, we'd either eat cabbage and mayonnaise all the time or roadside stew."

"What's roadside stew?" Akane asked, regaining self-control and wiping her eyes. Ranma's _femininity_…? (snicker)

Ranma pointed at a stray dog. "Well… that might be an ingredient."

"Eeuw!" Her audience shuddered.

Ranma shrugged. "If you're real hungry and don't got no money, you do what you hafta."

"Remind me to warn Nabiki to have the neighbors watch their pets," Akane gagged. Surprisingly, Akane was not being snide, but was attempting a bit of weak humor. She had never had to deal with not having food or shelter and hadn't considered what it might mean to be without. Ranma's life sounded… uncomfortable.

Ranma snickered, herself. "Ya don't gotta worry 'bout that unless Kasumi'd be willin' ta cook it."

"You really eat cats and dogs?" Yuka broke in, appalled.

Ranma flinched, a look of distaste on her face. "Well, I don't much like c-c-cats," she admitted. "And usually we could find odd jobs to earn money for food and supplies." Ranma made a face but refrained mentioning the petty theft he'd finally stopped when he was twelve and stayed in one place long enough to discover it wasn't considered honorable.

"So how did _you_ find time to be a martial artist and a good cook?" Akane asked.

"Didn't go ta school much," Ranma admitted.

"Speaking of school, we're getting close," Yuka warned Akane who was lost in thought.

Akane's head came up and her eyes narrowed.

"Close?" queried Ranma.

"Akane is… popular," Yuka said cryptically.

"Popular she says," Akane growled. Ranma's nape prickled. Akane was beginning to generate a battle aura. It wasn't visible, but Ranma could feel it like static electricity along his exposed skin. "We're this early and they still…?" Akane muttered with loathing. "Boys…"

"She really is a man-hater, huh?" Ranma asked in a loud whisper to Yuka.

Akane heard the redhead but didn't even blink. "Not men. Boys. I _hate_ boys. Lousy, disgusting, perverted _boys_."

Ranma blinked.

"Hate boys… hate boys… hate boys… hate boys…" Akane began to accelerate toward the school. Ahead of them, dozens of boys ran to confront the onrushing girl. "I. HATE. BOYS!"

oOo

Akane's note had pretty much said it all.

_Kasumi, Nabiki—_

_I'm leaving and I won't be back anytime soon. Daddy, how could you? I thought **I** was your heir. But I'm only a place-keeper for the real heir – some boy I've never met; who's rude, immature, and (for heaven's sake) changes gender? I'll be training and I won't be back until I'm ready to prove myself. _

_Akane_

Genma snorted at the sentiments expressed. "As if she could ever beat my son."

All three Tendos glared at him. Akane might not be at Ranma's level, but…

Nabiki wondered privately how Genma had ever managed to get close enough to a woman to father a child, given his lack of social skills. Still… She turned to Kasumi. "Yuka's house. It's closer."

"You think so?" Kasumi asked, relieved and momentarily distracted from Genma's rudeness.

"You can call and find out, if it makes you feel better, but I'll probably see her this morning at school."

Genma grunted. "That's settled then. Tendo, you get your daughter. I'll get my son. They'll be wed by supper."

Soun quivered under the dual glares of his daughters. "Uh… Saotome, I believe we should revise our plan of last night."

"Why?" Genma looked puzzled. Getting the boy married right off could solve a lot of problems. Especially if any of his other 'back-up' plans showed up.

"My daughters have pointed out that Akane is still in school."

"So…?" Genma began to sweat as if in the presence of a deadly threat. He was a bit unsettled by this. After all, Soun definitely wasn't threatening him, and the girls were not trained in combat…

"I think we should return to the idea of merely affiancing them at first." At Genma's disbelieving stare, he added, "Let them grow accustomed to each other."

"They can do that after they're married."

"Well, I need to get ready for school," Nabiki broke in coldly. "Daddy, remember what's riding on this." She patted her document folder again and smirked at his wan expression. "I'll need your decision before I leave. Banzai!" She added waving airily as she returned to her room to get her bath things. Genma was clueless but her father understood perfectly.

oOo

At Furinkan, Tatewaki Kuno strolled to his place beside the ornamental cherry tree four meters from the main entrance of Furinkan High School. As usual, he was early, the better to prepare for the advent of his 'destined' love. As he reached his position, he turned to face the rising sun, performing a bow as if to a dojo kamidama. He knelt, contemplating the rising orb, and silently composed haiku. It wasn't necessarily _good_ haiku, but it was heartfelt.

_Another sunrise;_

_Are thoughts of a crimson cloud_

_Dew on sakura?_

Kuno frowned. It was summer, not spring. He would try again.

Around him, the others awaiting the morning challenge began to form. They were all mere athletes and martial arts hobbyists, in Kuno's opinion. Someday Akane would see that no one else was so worthy of her as himself. Each morning demonstrated her superiority to the common throng. And when the throng finally understood she was beyond their reach, he would demonstrate his true power and Akane would be his!

Kuno suddenly realized that he was kneeling in the middle of the schoolyard cackling like a maniac, drawing the attention of the assembled horde. Quickly he restrained himself. "Return to your preparations," he commanded with a wave of his hand. "The fierce tigress is relentless and we must be ready." With difficulty, he returned to his meditations.

He became aware of the storm clouds assembling. Thunder rolled. He felt his hair rise in response to the power in the air. 'Yes!' he thought. 'It is an omen. Surely, this day will be a turning point.' Inspired he returned to his preparations.

He was shocked when his musings were interrupted by a feral scream.

"I. HATE. BOYS!"

Akane was early.

Akane plowed into the pack of hormonal idiots with a fresh intensity and vigor. She had been quite unsettled by the morning's conversation. Ranma, in his clueless rude way, was challenging a lot of her firmly held beliefs about her definition of 'boy'. The onrushing idiots helped her re-establish her world-view. Boys were idiots. Boys were perverts. Boys were for pounding! The horde responded desperately but was, as always, unequal to the task.

"What is this all about again?"

Yuka sighed. "I told you," Yuka said impatiently. "Kuno issued an edict that anyone who wanted to date Akane had to beat her 'in combat' first." She waved at the carnage. "This is the result."

"Huh?" Ranma's puzzled look began to cross over into appalled. "I thought you guys meant single combat or somethin'. What the hell kinda challenge is this?" A frown crossed her face. "No wonder she 'hates boys'." They watched as Akane whirled through the mass of humanity like a cyclone. "Damn! She's not bad against crowds." Ranma noticed the other girl's look and added testily, "I could do it better and faster, ya know."

Seconds later, Akane faced Kuno who stood crouched over his bokken like a wounded animal. "Alright, Kuno. Let's get this over with. I want to get to class."

Kuno rose from his knees, bokken in hand. "Nay, fair one. It is still early. We have time for our dance of love." He gestured with one hand and suddenly a rose appeared between his fingers. With a casual flick he sailed it at her.

Ranma fielded it out of the air. "What a moron."

"Ranma! Get out of the way!" Akane growled.

"Why do you put up with this?" Ranma continued.

"This is my fight!"

"What vision is this that dare interfere with holy battle?"

Ranma huffed and glanced back at Akane's tormentor. "If ya can't see, get some glasses, jerk."

Kuno ignored her jibe. "Could it be true? Yet another valiant goddess of war; cast in the same mold as Akane Tendo? Be still my heart!"

Ranma glanced down at herself then at Akane. "What are you talkin' about? I'm _way_ bigger…"

"_Ranma_!" SLAP!

"What was that for, you un-cute girl?" Ranma turned to Akane, furious, and now sporting a handprint on her cheek.

"How glorious! The two beauties fight for the honor of my attentions!" He made the mistake of trying to hug them both.

"Pervert!"

"Jerk!"

_K-Pow!_ Kuno stumbled away, his cheeks swollen from the impact of a pair of fists.

"Who do you think you are, grabbin' me like that?" Ranma snarled. It was her first experience at groping and she wasn't happy with the sensation.

Thunder rolled and Kuno's face lit up – or perhaps it was just the swelling. "Yes, I am inspired!" he declared to the lowering clouds. He turned back to his unimpressed audience. "I shall introduce myself! Let it be known that I am Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, Junior Class Representative, school champion and captain of the Kendo Club, known as… the _Blue Thunder_ of Furinkan High!" He posed dramatically.

Two of Nabiki's cohorts, there early to scope out the Horde's positions and compositions for Nabiki, whispered to one another. "Blue Thunder?" murmured one.

"News to me," replied her friend. "How can a noise be a color?"

"Maybe it's like that music form from America; you know, Rhythm and Blues?"

"I don't know, but _he_ sure is sad. Poor Akane, but at least that's over."

"Enough!" roared Kuno. His ears were quite good, especially when he was being discussed.

"Well, I'm Ranma Saotome of the Saotome Ryu of Mutsabetsu Kakuto; and I…"

"Thou? Thou art of the same discipline as the fair Akane? It must be destiny!"

"That I kick your butt?"

"She is fiery and jests sweetly," Kuno said amused. "But for the nonce, stand aside, for I wouldst do battle with Akane as is the custom here. Perhaps thereafter…?"

"Get out of the way, Ranma," Akane growled again.

Ranma snorted at Kuno. "You ain't in my league, Blue Blunder," she said. "See ya around, Akane." She turned and headed for the gate.

Kuno's eyebrows rose toward his hairline. "Mock you my skill?"

Ranma turned back. "You and your bozos go after Akane every morning, right? And ya haven't beaten her, yet, right?"

Kuno nodded, as did several of the Hentai Horde, who had regained consciousness. Ranma snorted again. "If you can't beat _her_, you won't be able to _touch_ me." _Wack_! "Ow! Cut it out, you maniac!" Ranma rubbed her head.

"You just got lucky!" Akane shouted and stuck out her tongue.

There was a moment of terrible silence in the schoolyard.

"Y-you beat Akane?" Kuno stammered. His mind seemed to explode. This pigtailed girl was even better than Akane?"

Ranma ducked Akane's next swing of her bookbag. "Yeah. And it wasn't luck, neither." She easily jumped over a leg sweep, somersaulting away. "Nyah!"

"Akane! Fair One!" Akane jumped and stopped her attack on Ranma as Kuno suddenly thrust his bokken toward her threateningly. "Forgive me, my tigress but events have shown that I may no longer delay in the culmination of our courtship! Prepare yourself!"

"What?" Akane backed up, her face paling.

"Cry 'Havoc! Loose the hounds of Love!' Akane! I come to you at last, holding nothing back! Yield to my heart!" Kuno's feet kicked up a cloud of dust as he began a steady powerful charge. "DA-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da…"

The force of the attack staggered the nearby Yuka and swept her aside like a leaf. Akane was forced back, her arms up defensively as Kuno's technique ripped through the air. She saw Ranma dart forward to catch her friend and lower her the rest of the way to the ground. She stepped back briskly, refusing to let her taller, heavier opponent close with her. Yuka looked dazed as Ranma turned toward them with a strange, hard expression on her face. That jerk, Kuno, had hurt her friend! Pain lashed her blocking arms. What the heck!

She sometimes suspected Kuno had been holding back. But her past experience in fighting him, as well as those few kendo matches she had seen him compete in, hadn't prepared her for this. Even though the point of his weapon was still an arm's length away, the force of the vortices it created were ripping the sleeves of her blouse and bruising her arms. She could hear the sharp retorts as the pulses of charged air cracked against the concrete wall behind her.

She stumbled as a wave of doubt assailed her. If Kuno had been holding back, she might not win this. And if she lost… No! She wouldn't think about that.

With a growl, she timed the rhythm of the thrusts and her hands snapped forward to catch the wooden blade as it recoiled. She took the brunt of the air pulse from that thrust across her chest and cried out as it laid open the tougher material of her jumper. She rolled back away from the pain but didn't fail to yank Kuno forward, bringing her foot up to catch him in the gut and launch him over her head.

He hit the abused boundary wall, already damaged from his technique. It cracked completely and collapsed, partially burying him.

Akane rolled to her feet, panting. She frowned at Ranma, far closer than before, as the other withdrew the hand she had held out to steady her. She glared at the Hentai Horde who had been cheering Kuno on and some of the wiser members slunk away. Backing away from where her foe lay in the remains of the wall, she turned and ran to her friend. "Yuka!"

Yuka raised a trembling hand in answer. "I'm alright, Akane. What was that?"

Ranma answered instead, her tone detached and almost clinical, "Each of his blows twisted a little in the air. Each thrust threw a ball of compressed air ahead of it. Interesting technique."

Akane blanched. Kuno was that skilled? He _had_ been playing with her!

Ranma scowled. "He wasn't too careful about bystanders though. Why, I have half a mind ta…"

Then their hair stood on end as, behind them at the wall, chunks of concrete shifted and slid aside. A battered form rose from the debris wielding its wooden weapon. As they turned disbelieving to watch, Kuno swept his bokken at a nearby tree. Though it was as thick around as his own body, it sheered as if cut by a sharp blade. It slid to one side and fell.

"I fight _on_!" Kuno declaimed, raising his bokken above his head and snapping it down as if performing the blood-stripping moves of an iado technique. Holding his bokken in a two-handed grip once more, he advanced on them, his eyes on Akane. His stride lengthened and the bokken drew back to again perform his thrusting technique.

Akane was frozen in panic. This was like her nightmares coming to life. She wouldn't be able to stop him this time! He would beat her and then… Even as her heart sank down and her arms trembled, she set herself, ready to go down fighting. A cry of rage started to struggle out of her throat, but it was closed and would not properly form the 'ki-yah' to help her center and develop her power. She was going to lose…

Ranma suddenly appeared inside the circle of Kuno's arms, her eyes boring fiercely into his, her mouth set in a hard line. "You have some nerve."

Startled at the interruption, Kuno stopped and tried to back up or spin away from this unexpected obstacle, but Ranma matched his every move as if they were in some exotic dance. "What right have you to interfere?" he shouted.

"You hurt Akane's friend," Ranma countered. Ranma slapped aside shortened blows and continued to drive Kuno around the schoolyard. "What kind of martial artist _are_ you? We're supposed to _protect_, but you… You're just a bully. And what's the deal with your pervert army?"

"Anyone who would dare prove himself worthy of Akane Tendo must defeat…"

"Oh! I get it! Yer a buncha cowards who don't have the balls ta ask her out 'cause she might say no?" Ranma suddenly stopped dead and Kuno stumbled to the ground, unbalanced by the unexpected loss of his dance partner. "Oh, boo-hoo!" whined Ranma in an irritating voice. "Let's all us big strong men dog-pile the little girl so she can't tell us no!"

Kuno, scrambled to his feet, outraged. "It is a measure of our regard for our goddess of battle, that we accord her such odds." His eyes grew soft and his tone turned cajoling. "Surely you must understand, pigtailed one. You, too, are of a similar mold, a veritable goddess of battle." Ranma shuddered at his look. "Aye… You even do me the honor of waging battle. Defeat me and I will let thee date me."

"Gaaah!" Ranma gagged. She jumped over his sudden, unannounced thrust and landed balancing on the outstretched blade of wood. As Kuno boggled at her choice of location, she suddenly spun, sending a small solid heel into the side of his face. Kuno hit the ground like a ton of bricks, bouncing from the force of the blow. Ranma landed lightly and caught his bokken as it spun, unattached in midair. "Why would you think I'd ever want to date you, scumbag?"

"You… should address me… as… upper class…mannnn…" Kuno took a nap. At this point, the rest of the horde departed having… healthier pursuits to interest them. If Akane was violent, this new girl was downright deadly!

"Jackass. I ain't even goin' to school here," Ranma huffed. She turned back to where Akane stood guard over her friend. "You guys okay?"

Akane shook herself and glared with loathing at the recumbent kendoist.

"I'm alright, Ranma." Yuka smiled a bit weakly but, after they helped to her feet, gave a little bow of appreciation. "Wow, I wish you _were_ going to our school. Between you and Akane we might even keep these perverts in line for a change."

"Ain't that what police are for?" asked Ranma. "Blue Slumberer over there shouldn't be allowed to harass people like this. Police are trained to take down idiots like him."

"Not when they're _rich_ idiots like him," Akane said. She couldn't quite keep a tremble out of her voice.

"Never when they're _rich_," Yuka agreed. It'd be nice for Akane to have a peer _she_ could look up to and who could back her up, the way she and Sayuri were unable to. "C'mon, Akane. Let's get to class."

Akane took a step toward her friend then hesitated. She looked back at Ranma.

Ranma shrugged. "It's been nice meetin' ya." She picked up her pack and carefully shrugged into it, avoiding her earlier embarrassment. "I guess I'm outa here. I'm headin' back ta China."

"Oh, damn," Yuka muttered to herself. Kuno was going to be impossible now and next time he _would_ beat Akane.

Akane shivered in loathing. If only she had had Ranma's training. She looked thoughtfully at the redhead as she started to walk away.

Ranma took a few steps and then turned back. The look Akane was giving her was freaking her out. And she had the vague feeling that she was neglecting something. '_Dammit, I can't just leave her with that pervert around. Even if she might deserve it_.' "You sure you're okay, Akane?" She cringed at how stupid that sounded.

Akane, doubly shaken by Kuno's prowess had turned away, pondering her own inability to protect her friend or herself from him. It had happened so fast, yet Ranma had flowed inside the self-styled Blue Thunder's guard with apparent ease. She shook herself. If only she could move like that. "Um… Yeah. I'm okay."

"You sure?" Ranma leaned in and looked at her searchingly.

"I'm _fine_," she snapped. Yet she couldn't help glancing at the redhead as a wild plan began to percolate in her head. The clock tower chimed the hour.

"It's too bad you can't go to all those places Ranma trained at, Akane," Yuka said.

_Piku, piku…_

Akane turned her head and looked at Ranma. Ranma looked back. Akane's expression suddenly made Ranma realize how much she and Nabiki looked alike.

"OOOoooooh, no! No way. I ain't doin it."

"I think that's a great idea, Yuka," Akane said. "Ranma…?"

Ranma cringed. "You mean ta tell me, you wanna risk bein' around a pervert?"

Yuka frowned. "You really go on too much about perverted, Akane. So what if she doesn't wear a bra…"

"You don't know half of it, Yuka," Akane said, not removing her gaze from Ranma. "It seems I'm stuck dealing with a pervert whether I stay or go."

Ranma glowered forgetting her words just moments before. "I ain't no pervert!"

"There's only one difference I see between you and Kuno, Ranma."

"She's a girl?" offered Yuka weakly.

"No. But I think Ranma will keep his… uh, _her_ word." Akane folded her arms across her front and tapped her foot. "Well?"

"Why do I need to give my word to a violent tomboy who ain't goin' with me?"

"Ranma," Akane said fiercely, "I am the heir of the Tendo Ryu of Mutsabetsu Kakuto. You are the heir to our sister school." She frowned and reminded herself she had to 'persuade' Ranma. "I need more training to be worthy of the name, _and to get us out of that mess we're in._"

"Mess?" Ranma looked blank. Akane's hand came up to cover her face. She _wasn't _going to say it. "Oh! You mean our dads' plan to hitch-!" Akane's hand slapped across Ranma's mouth to muffle the words.

"If I can take over the dojo," Akane smiled saccharinely. "We won't have to do… _that_. Understood?"

Ranma grimaced, waffled, and finally… "All right, I'll do it."

"And…?" Akane said sweetly.

"And? Oh! I promise on my honor as a martial artist that I won't do anything perverted with you."

Yuka looked shocked. She'd thought Akane was joking! "Are you really… _that_ way?" she asked timidly.

Ranma groaned. She really didn't want to get into this. The regular students were beginning to filter in through the gates and the Blue Bungler was beginning to stir. It was time to go.

oOo

Nabiki walked briskly along, mildly satisfied by the morning's events. Genma had grudgingly agreed to pull back to the original idea of an engagement. She had noticed he was involved in many of the honor debts she'd found in her father's records. Flashing a few sheets of paper under his nose had caught his attention, as had her father's expressed intent to not go down alone. Even so, it had still taken a patented Soun Demon-Head to convince him. The elder Saotome had also vacated the premises, if only temporarily, to search for his son. With any luck, Ranma would keep him running around for months.

As she approached the front gate at Furinkan, she smirked at how her schemes would stir the pot around here. As she passed through the gates, her smirk vanished. The Hentai Horde was in a shambles. Kuno knelt, bruised and concussed, before a depression in the ground that distinctly resembled him. His features were set in an expression of confusion and hormonal overload.

"Akane must have gotten here early," Nabiki murmured. She quickly marched up to a pair of her lieutenants for a report. What she heard annoyed her. Kuno had abruptly stopped holding back on her dear sister and a new girl had promptly stepped in to the rescue, stopping Kuno with ease. The red hair and pigtail were unmistakable. Ranma had stuck around for some reason.

"What happened here, Kuno?" she snapped as she marched up to him.

"Speak to me in tones of respect, woman!" Kuno spoke with the surprising clarity considering his condition. "I have been visited by angels and I would contemplate my soul."

"If I heard right, you…" Nabiki considered several insults but refrained. She needed information. She was also considering retribution. "You were visited by my sister and a certain pigtailed girl, who proceeded to hand you your butt."

"Do not tarnish a pure dance of life and love with your magpie's chatter!" Kuno allowed one eyelid to crack open and glint at her. "Indeed, for though your sister fought well – even beyond her normal skill — it was the radiant fire-haired beauty who did lay me low. Wouldst that I knew where she has flown."

"This little birdie might acquire such information… for a price," Nabiki frowned at the 'magpie' crack, then his words sank in and she broke into laughter. Kuno? Chasing Ranma? Smirking, she said, "You're giving up on my sister?" She should be so lucky. That might pay off on the home front, too.

"Nay! Forever does her pure and fierce beauty dwell in my heart!"

Nabiki contemplated this. "Both? You're going to two-time her, then?"

"If that is what you call it," he replied. Thunder rumbled and the first drops of rain marked the ground.

oOo

Yuka stared out the third story window. Ranma and Akane were gone and, as near as she knew, she was the only one who knew what was going on. The fellow travelers had dragged her into the school to the nurse's office, where they appropriated some hot water. In one of the equipment rooms, they had shown her-!

She still had trouble believing it. She had promised Akane not to tell anyone except Nabiki. And that only if she was certain not to be overheard. Then, with a splash of water, a handsome dark-haired boy suddenly stood in the place of the short, busty redhead.

She sighed. It was ridiculous! Akane was running from _that_? So what if he was cursed! She could tell he was nice. Now they were off on a journey that Ranma estimated would take _at least_ two years. But she wasn't allowed to tell anyone! Except Nabiki. Because they didn't want anyone to know they were together, because they didn't want to be forced into marriage, no matter how much Yuka thought they would be so right for each other…

Yuka yelped as Nabiki put a hand on her shoulder. Nabiki's slender hands didn't look strong, but the grip was inescapable. "Yuka, where's my sister?" Nabiki demanded quietly.

oOo

"Insensitive jerk," Akane accused as she led Ranma back toward Yuka's house for her belongings.

"I can't believe I'm doing this. No girl could ever get as good as me."

Akane glared. "Prepare to be surprised…" She got an evil grin on her face. "…little girl."

"Gah!" Ranma twitched at this remark. "I'm a guy, dammit," he retorted.

He had gone nose to nose with the grinning Akane when something caught his eye. He glanced down. "Hey! Didja know that idiot cut right through your uniform? I can see yer -!"

_SLAP!_

"What are you looking at, pervert?"

"You are so-o-o-o un-cute," he growled, turning away and putting some distance between them. The look he gave her reminded Akane that she did need Ranma's cooperation.

Well, maybe she had over-reacted, she grumbled to herself as she politely collected her things and bowed herself past her friend's flustered mother. But Kuno's last blow on her had split the fabric of her jumper, her blouse and her bra. She wasn't sure just what he was peeping at. She'd changed, of course, while she'd been inside. Besides, hiking around in a school uniform and mary-jane's just wasn't sensible.

Outside, Ranma grumbled to himself. Couldn't he be worried? That jackass with the stick might have actually hurt her. It wasn't like he hadn't seen it before; even hers, for that matter. Ranma looked up suddenly as Akane returned, angry words on his lips that he seemed to lose as he saw her. Akane suddenly felt nervous - on display - yet not ogled. She cleared her throat to apologize as Ranma re-remembered his grievence.

"Ranma…"

"Look you…"

They looked nonplussed.

"You first," they chorused with short nervous bows.

Akane dove in. "Ranma, I'm sorry I hit you. I guess you might have just been worried about me. I'm just so used to boys being… jerks. I should give you the benefit of the doubt since you're helping me."

"Uhhh… That's alright," Ranma replied nervously as his complaints were derailed by her apology. "I'm not used to bein' around girls at all, so…" He twiddled his fingers. "I'm sorry I screwed up your life. If Pop and I'd never come around, you wouldn't hafta do this."

Akane swallowed. "Maybe it's for the best. Kuno would have stopped holding back some time." She whispered, "I can't believe I misjudged him so badly."

"We all make mistakes." They heard the echo of one another's voices. There was a long moment of silence.

Akane hesitantly stepped across the intervening space and held out her hand. "I'll understand if you don't give me the chance, but… Friends?"

At her words, Ranma suddenly smiled. Akane almost gasped because she'd last seen that smile on Ranma's girl form. Warm, hopeful and totally open. "Sounds good ta me." He took her hand gently but firmly. "Friends."

Akane barely restrained herself from snatching her hand away. She felt warm and tingly. "S-so…" she quavered slightly. "Where we going?"

Ranma pointed northeast. "The train station, then… North, I think. The mountains are good training in the summer."

"The train? But we don't have enough money to…"

Ranma waved her protest away dismissively. "I got it covered. Call it part of your education in survival." He grinned, eyes sparkling. "Trust me?"

Akane blinked. Her normal answer would be no. Oddly, she didn't feel like saying no. It was quite confusing. Finally, she nodded.

Ranma chuckled, pleased. Akane had guts. "That's my tomboy!" he laughed, turning away.

Akane barely restrained herself from pounding him. 'Tomboy? Oooo!'

She began to track him as he ambled down the road, deciding that _some_ retribution was deserved here. Just as she began her charge he turned grinning, his expression throwing her completely off balance again.

"And I know just how to start you off!" he declared, smirking.

Akane aborted her launch and figuratively rolled to a stop. "Uh… How?" she inquired. His voice had been cheerful, but the kind of cheer one had when introducing honey into someone's hair, or a snake into a bedroll.

His grin got bigger. "How well do you swim?"

* * *

Author's Note:

Well... And they're off! I've seen a fair number of AU's with Ranma and Akane meeting in different ways, including some where Akane went along on the trip. I haven't seen any taking this route, though its an obvious one. Needless to say, things will happen quite differently, and while the pressure from their parents will be removed (or abated at least) a lot of their problems will still find them, sometimes in a different order, sometimes from completely different viewpoints. Unlike my other stories, this will develop as it goes along and while Akane is a strong favorite as Ranma's life companion, it 'ain't fixed in stone'. Feel free to comment, but I'll warn you: It's not up for a vote. If it fit's the story, I'll do it - if not... Though it might change, I don't at this time plan a crossover, and there definitely will not be a self insert.

This was done as a sort of 'writer's block' cure. Better to write something than brood over a lot of nothing. Needless to say, once it works, and Master Ki starts moving, updating will be rather hit-or-miss. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

**RANMA ½** is the creation of Takahashi Rumiko – all rights belong to her and her authorized distributors, Shonen Sunday Comics, Shogakukan, Kitty TV and Viz Communications.

The characters are used without the permission of the above. This fan-fiction is in no way meant to infringe upon their legal and financial rights nor does the author in any way benefit financially from this endeavor. This work is done in appreciation to the hours of enjoyment the above creations have given me.

**On the Road Again**

**Chapter 2**

"How well do you swim?"

Akane stared at Ranma Saotome and giggled nervously. She rubbed the back of her head. She looked away at the sky, the birds the trees… How could she put this without humiliation? Then a horrible thought struck her. "We're not swimming to China, are we?"

Ranma laughed. "Nahhh…" Akane was relieved. "Not yet, anyway," the pigtailed boy added. "I think that would be a bit much without doin' _some_ trainin' for it."

Akane swallowed. "Ah… Hahaha… Ummm…?" The dark-haired girl planned to ask when he thought they would be leaving. How much time did she have to learn a skill that had escaped her efforts since she was at least six years old. Ranma misunderstood the reason for her hesitation.

"Did ya bring a suit? Pops never was much for that; we lived in our gi most of the ten years we were trainin'," Ranma informed her as he turned and strutted on toward the station. He stopped when she didn't follow. "Forgot it, huh? Oh well, no biggie. Gi it is." He took a few more steps before looking back irritably. "You comin'?"

Akane jumped and hurried after him. "Oh! Yeah… Sure…" She caught up with him, though she kept at least two arm-lengths between them. "And I did pack a suit."

"Oh?" They had walked right past the footbridge over the tracks and after a short way, found a space where they could jump the fence unobserved. Akane was further distracted by the realization that the station down the line was for freight, unlike the passenger station closer to the dojo she regularly used for out-of-town trips.

Conversation was delayed as they dropped down to the rail bed and began to parallel the tracks. She literally forgot about her swimming worries in favor of experiencing the new environment. Tripping or skidding in the ballast underfoot was unpleasant, and while she had some experience walking rails, it obviously wasn't nearly as much as Ranma had.

"So what's the problem, then?" Ranma asked. "About swimming?" he added when she gave him a blank look. He could get used to long silences like this after all the blather he had to endure from his father over the years. Having a constant litany of how great a teacher Genma was and how unworthy a student Ranma was, and how much the unworthy student still had to learn from the 'great' teacher had really begun to rankle.

Akane kicked herself mentally. Why was it so hard to admit she couldn't swim? That even her friends called her the 'hammer girl' for reasons other than her martial art skills? She fumed, following her guide down the tracks, occasionally hopping the rails and moving steadily away from the station but crossing over the sidings toward the main line. Akane opened her mouth a few times along the way, wanting to say anything but constrained by her pride. This was so embarrassing!

"Hold up!" Ranma held up a hand, eyes focusing down the line. "This way, quick! Our ride's comin' through sooner than I thought."

"Huh?"

"Here!" With one hand, seemingly from nowhere, he produced a small dirty-looking tarp. Akane quickly saw that it was painted to look that way. As they ran, he grabbed an old loose railroad tie, one handed, and dragged it along. "We get close to the track and wait for the engines to go past. This close to the station, they're not goin' too fast, yet. We pick an empty car and swing aboard. Got that?"

"Are you crazy?" she yelled over the roar of the approaching train. Ranma stopped suddenly and threw the tie down to anchor the leading edge of the tarp beside the tracks. The loose edge he lifted and ducked under before turning to beckon to her. She yelped as he reached out and yanked her closer and down to a kneeling position, hiding them under the flapping cloth. She almost clobbered him, except he wasn't looking at or touching her now. He was focused on their prospective ride. The tarp billowed around them as the air, pushed ahead of the freight, caught up to them. Akane covered her ears and choked as the air pressure and noise and swirling debris threatened to gag her. The roar went on for what felt like forever.

Then suddenly, they were running, Ranma dragged her along by one arm till she caught her balance, then he quickly rolled up the tarp he'd trailed in the other hand and jammed it in between his pack and his back. The roar and clatter of the wheels on the tracks terrified her; the dust disoriented her. She felt her hand guided to a vertical metal bar. Faintly, she heard a voice yell, "Swing up!" Squinting against the wind, she saw she was grasping the side of a ladder and jumped, desperately grabbing for a higher rung. She didn't complain when a hand boosted her, nor when suddenly a shoulder rested against her lower back. "Climb up!" yelled a faintly irritated voice. A few unsteady steps up and she tumbled onto the flat surface of a piggyback car carrying truck trailers. Without being prompted, she scrambled for cover between the large wheels of the nearest trailer.

"We'll wait here for now," Ranma bellowed at her. "Once we're out of town, I'll see if there's an empty box car we can move to." He retrieved the tarp and anchored it with his pack, letting it flutter across them from the turbulence. "With any luck, they'll only see some trash caught in the wheels," he explained. He turned and ransacked his pack. "You have breakfast?" he asked, holding out a bag of dried apples.

**oOo**

"Unfortunately, Kuno decided today was the day to stop playing around…" Nabiki rubbed her temples. "Kami, what a mess!" Nabiki had just made it back home. There had been no point staying for class with Akane who knew where and Kuno-baka demanding what she didn't know.

"What happened?" Kasumi, upset, asked.

"Not here, sis," Nabiki murmured, kicking off her shoes and stepping up into the house proper. "I don't want Dad or Mr. Saotome to hear any of this yet."

"Mr. Saotome is out looking for Ranma. Father is in the family room. Your room or mine?" Kasumi whispered.

Nabiki looked startled then smirked. She opened her mouth to make a smart remark, but Kasumi placed a finger on her lips and frowned warningly.

"Don't you dare say what you were thinking. I am practically beside myself with worry and I just…" Her eyes became tearful. "…I just can't handle this…"

Alarmed, Nabiki took her older sister by the arm and guided her to the steps. Distantly, she heard her father sobbing in the main room. Ghosting up the stairs, they entered Nabiki's room where the middle Tendo unceremoniously dropped her bookbag at the foot of the bed, twirled and sat herself down with a thump in the middle of her mattress. Chewing her lip, she finally decided how she would tell Kasumi the latest chapter in their youngest sibling's life. "As you know, I was correct in determining Akane would go to Yuka first…"

Nabiki spent some time detailing what Yuka had told her and what she had deduced through her more extensive investigation. "…the tale so far is that, due to Kuno, our sister has left Nerima and embarked on an actual training journey, shepherded by her reluctant fiancé. Her goal is to become a 'real martial artist' like Ranma and return to challenge Father and Mr. Saotome, I suppose, and repudiate the marriage contract."

"Oh, my!" Kasumi gazed blankly across the room, her hands on her cheeks. "They're out there? Unescorted? It's not proper!"

"That's the rub," Nabiki agreed. "If Dad or Mr. Saotome find out, they'll simply force the issue. On their own, I think Akane's pretty safe. She has issues with boys and Ranma struck me as being rather clueless about girls. I don't think he'd make a move on Akane unless she asked him – fat chance there. Of course, give them enough time and that could happen, which would please Daddy to no end." She sat up again. "Provided Daddy and other factors don't butt in to make their life difficult."

"But they're too young," Kasumi protested.

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "In Japan, oneechan, legal age of consent is fourteen. If you can do the deed, you can walk the walk."

"But…"

"I agree with you. Neither of them is ready for marriage. It would be a disaster. But that's what Daddy and Ranma's father will force them into, unless…"

"Unless?" Kasumi questioned.

"Unless they succeed in training Akane, I guess," Nabiki replied slowly. "If we can keep everyone off Akane's neck, and _if_ Ranma is as good a teacher as he is a martial artist, and if they can get the places Ranma and his father visited to train them… They just might pull it off."

**oOo**

Later, Akane was much more comfortable resting in the back seat of a sedan Ranma had appropriated with a section of bendable wire. The sedan was one of many stacked in one of six automobile cars headed north. The new car smell and sound insulation was heaven after the audible pounding her ears had taken earlier.

"This better?" the redhead asked from the front seat. A brief shower had passed over the train and Ranma had borne the brunt of it.

"Much," she admitted. Then, "We really shouldn't be doing this," she added guiltily.

"What? Runnin' away?" Ranma looked astonished. Even turning into one, she didn't think she'd ever understand how a girl's mind worked.

"No! No, just…" she waved at the car they were in. "This belongs to someone. We broke in. We're… criminals, now…"

Ranma's face scrunched up. "We're not hurtin' anything. 'Sides, they clean these things when they get to the dealership, anyway." She leaned back and sprawled across the soft plush seats. "And you gotta admit this is way nicer than rattlin' around the inside of a cattle car or one of the gondola cars."

"But that's not the point!"

"What is the point?"

Akane looked distressed. Ranma had countered not with anger or irritation, but with an honest questioning tone as if she… he didn't understand. "It's illegal to do this," she began. She stopped when Ranma waved her off.

"If we went by foot, Pops woulda found us for sure – and we didn't have no money for tickets," the petite yet busty pseudo-girl answered, arms behind her head for support and feet barely reaching the armrest on the opposite side of the auto. "I could beat him, if I had to, on a good day, but he's a sneaky bastard, and I'd have to break somethin' to keep him off our backs long enough to do any good." Ranma wriggled a little to get more comfortable. "And I didn't wanna do that. "

"But…"

"Oh! Yeah…" Ranma sat up suddenly. "Swimmin'! I almost forgot!"

'Damn,' Akane thought, blushing. 'Not _that_ again.'

"You were gonna tell me what your problem was." Akane flinched. "Not good at it, huh?" Akane flinched again.

"I… guess you could say that," she admitted in a small voice.

"How bad?"

"Um… Pretty bad?" Akane felt about two inches tall for a second then fumed. Dammit! Why was he embarrassing her?

"Damn…" grumbled Ranma. "Guess that puts off China for a while, and where we're headed… Oh well, can't be helped. Salt water would be easier, but a good cold mountain spring can really give you incentive to improve. I guess I get to teach you to swim! Ha-ha-ha!" The redhead fell back to a reclining position with a faintly sadistic chuckle, having noted Akane's third flinch.

Sweetly, Akane asked, after a few moments of deep breathing to calm herself, "Why, if you were planning to swim to China, are we headed into the mountains?" The idea of immersing herself in spring water only slightly warmer than glacial snows did not attract her.

"Pops." Ranma sighed. "The old man figures I'm heading back to China, so he'll be looking for me to stow away on a ship headin' that way, or to hike down to Kyushu to swim across. We'll head the opposite direction, get some trainin' in and start ya learnin' to swim. Besides, it'll really improve your Art."

Akane looked surprised. "Swimming? How?"

Ranma looked smug. "Oh, yeah!" the redhead replied, smirking. "Swimming and doing combat training in the water is great for improving your flexibility and grace."

Akane blinked. "It is?" she inquired. She liked the sound of that.

"Oh, yeah! And you need all the help you can get."

Anyone outside would have seen the sedan begin to rock violently, and over the noise of the train, might faintly hear, "RRRrrrrrAANMA!" and "Hey! This isn't OURS! Don't break it!"

**oOo**

"Hey! Akane!"

Akane grumbled and tried to worm her way deeper into the plush cushion.

"Yo! Tomboy!"

She was up in a flash, one hand snatching at Ranma's collar. "What did you call me?" she growled.

Ranma grinned saucily at her. "Don't. Break. The. Car," she said sweetly.

Akane let go and sat back, suddenly reminded of the situation she had put herself in. After a moment she asked crossly, "Well… what do you want?"

"We need to get ready to get off. They should slow down going through the town ahead," she nodded to lights near the horizon and the long curve of shadow that was the train beginning to point toward it. "Besides, they do search these things so if ya want to miss out on yellin' and screamin' railroad police, now's the time to do it."

Akane immediately got her pack ready. They locked the car behind them and moved to the nearest ladder on the outward arc of the train. "It's goin' faster out here," Ranma yelled her soprano voice shrill in the cacophony of the slowing train, "but yer thrown away from the wheels when ya jump. I'll throw the packs off and then, when I tell you, jump."

The road bed rolled by beneath them, the endless road of ballast interrupted by scraggly bushes the railway workers hadn't cleared yet. They were down to perhaps 15-20 kilometers per hour. Akane caught herself as she unconsciously leaned out, almost tumbling off the car. Suddenly their packs spun past her nose and she felt Ranma push at her shoulder. "Jump!"

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" she screeched as they barreled off together.

Unconsciously she mimicked Ranma's loose upright posture, bent knees and spread arms. "Pick yer landing!" the other called, focusing Akane's attention on her destination. Akane drove her heels in to bleed off speed and to prevent a painful tumble across the gravel. As she skidded to a stop, a deep groove cut in the ballast behind her, she noted Ranma flipping to a stop just beyond. Belatedly, she realized the redhead had made at least one other touchdown and flip in bleeding off her own momentum. "You okay?" Ranma called as she turned around.

"I'm fine!" Akane said shakily. She stood up and took stock of herself. She really was – alright. She was ALIVE! She punched at the sky in a quick victory dance. She could do this!

**oOo**

She grumbled as they walked, not into town and civilization, but out of town and into the hills. They had followed the tracks, walking the rails at the pigtailed boy's insistence, till they came to a bridge crossing a stream. Then Ranma had turned west and followed a path – almost a game trail, really, along the stream's bank. Where they were going was anybody's guess in Akane's opinion. Maybe it was a shortcut to some dojo? Ranma's silence however induced silence on her part.

Eventually, they came to a lush clearing and a deep pool with a waterfall.

"Ooooo!" Akane sighed appreciatively. It was absolutely gorgeous! The water burbled merrily, and looked crystal clear. The afternoon sun filtered down through the leafy foliage, sending streams of sunlight to bless the verdant edges of the pool. Dragonflies darted in the reeds at the waters edge and the chirp of early cicada and cricket wafted through the shadows. To her travel weary body it couldn't be more perfect.

"I thought I recognized this place," Ranma turned with an easy smile. "We can set up camp here." She motioned almost lazily at the clearing. "Can you pitch the tents and get a fire goin'?"

Akane nodded. "Sure! My dad…" Her voice faltered, "…my… we used to camp a lot when my Mom was alive." She looked down sadly, remembering. And now she had cut herself off from her family.

Ranma cleared her throat. She suspected Akane missed her home but that was outside her experience, having no memories of one herself. Still a nice place like the Tendo's and regular meals would certainly be something _she _missed! "Ah… okay, then. You do that and I'll handle dinner."

"Okay." Then Akane started on the fire pit.

Ranma paused in the manufacture of fishing spears from meter-long sections of some of the stiffer reeds along the water's edge. She was using her folding knife to sharpen one end of each to a chisel-like point then carefully cutting into the stalk to create a long barb to secure her catch. The fish in the pool had caught her attention right away and her mouth was watering in anticipation. But Akane was headed for disaster. She wandered over. "Watcha doin'?"

Akane glanced up. The fire pit was almost ready. She was quite pleased with her work. Then she caught Ranma's expression. "What's wrong?"

"You really plannin' to build a fire in that?"

Akane looked at her fire pit. She slowly glanced up, a dangerous glint in her eye. "What's wrong with it?"

Ranma squatted down and selected a rock. "Here. Feel this one."

"So?" Akane ran her hands over the rock.

"It's rough and you can crumble off little bits if you rub hard enough, right?"

Akane nodded. The stone was like that.

"That kinda stone tends to blow up if it gets hot."

"Oh," Akane said weakly. She sighed and picked out the 'crumbly stones' and looked up to see Ranma still squatting there. "I got them all out," she said defensively. She looked irked when Ranma held up another stone. "But that one's smooth and black."

"It's coal."

"Coal?"

"Yup."

Akane slumped a little. 'I'd never live it down if my fire pit actually caught on fire,' she grimaced. She quickly cleared out the coal and another piece of sandstone she'd missed and went off to collect more rocks and wood for the fire.

Ranma nodded approvingly at the dead wood collected and continued her preparations to stalk the fish. Ranma had set up camp hundreds of times over the past ten years. But nothing could have prepared the gender-switched youth for Akane. Some things she seemed quite competent at. Others looked like she was trying to remember something she had seen someone else do, but had never done herself. Watching her start the fire nearly had Ranma in stitches. She was shocked when Akane, muttering angrily, suddenly set a small fireball off under her tepee of starter twigs.

After a moment of open mouthed astonishment, the redhead realized her companion had gone through half a box of safety matches, breaking each without igniting the tip, and tossing the broken matches into her little clump of dry shaved bark. When she finally had gotten a match going and applied it… _Foosh_! But she _had_ gotten the fire started. And she had avoided burning off her eyebrows, so the tents were next.

She took three times as long to spread out and secure the ground cloth for her tent as he would have and spent far longer reassuring herself it was right. Akane then quickly got her little tent set up. It was a very standard pole and peg affair Ranma recognized as a pup-tent. It was done fairly competently, though Ranma had some doubts about the size and complexity of the knots she used. During her efforts, Ranma caught two fair-sized fish.

Ranma grinned as the dark haired girl puzzled over 'his' tent. She decided she'd have to hurry up and finish catching dinner or there'd be hell to pay. After a long frustrating struggle, Akane's face began to undergo those changes that indicated impending tantrum. Four skewered fish dropped beside her didn't interrupt her growing fury, but the icy hand laid on her bare lower arm sure did.

"YEEEEEEEEE-AGH!"

Ranma jumped back into a defensive stance, hair standing on end.

"Don't DO that!" Akane shrieked.

"WHAT?" Ranma said, eyes wide.

Your hands are like _ice!_ Don't do that!" She rubbed her arm and shivered.

"Let me help ya with that, Akane," Ranma suggested, shrugging off the odd reaction. 'Girls – go figure.'

"I _think_ I can manage pitching a simple tent, Ranma," she said frostily, flinching away. "I'm not helpless!" She struggled trying to work out some way the skinny, flexible stick she held could be used for a tent pole.

"It ain't a simple… Now wait a minute-!" The small busty girl jerked as the ribbing for the alpine tent whipped past her nose. "Hey!"

"Ooooh! Stupid pole!" Akane growled, oblivious to the near miss with Ranma's nose. She whipped it back and forth in frustration causing Ranma to dodge and duck for cover. "It's not _stiff_ enough!"

"Watch it!" Ranma yelled. "It's not a tent pole!"

Akane stopped and glared her direction, as if her misconception was Ranma's fault. "You have a tent without tent poles?"

"Well…" Technically, that was correct.

"How am I supposed to set up a tent without _tent poles_!" Akane demanded.

"It's not that kind of tent, baka!" her companion snapped back.

"What did you call me?"

They glared daggers at one another.

Ranma gritted her teeth. "I said, 'It's not that kind of tent'… Akane," she replied more calmly. Someone had to be calm here. "Let me show you how _this_ one is set up. Okay?"

She huffed at the redhead, but seemed to cool a bit. Ranma proceeded to find the opening of the tent and crawl inside. Taking the springy poles, she slid them into loops in the canvass, bracing the ends in pockets designed for them. In moments a round hemisphere about six feet across rested on the drop sheet.

"There."

Akane blinked and eyed the thing suspiciously. "That's a tent?"

Ranma grinned and tossed her some light rope and tent pegs. "Ya still hafta tie it down, but yeah, that's a tent; a good one, too. Two people can sleep comfortably even in the dead of winter." She glanced at the pup tent with a critical eye. "I don't think I'd wanna try that with yours."

"Of course not, pervert," Akane said primly. "There's not enough room."

"Uhhh… right," Ranma agreed deciding discretion was the better part of valor, here. Besides, dinner and hot water beckoned. The aqua-transsexual cleaned her catch and set the fish-spear/skewers up to roast the fish over the flames. She quickly and efficiently placed two camp pots with water where they could come to a boil. One was for rice, the other for tea and changing genders.

After they ate, as there was still daylight left, Ranma decided it was time for some training. "Ready ta spar?"

Akane, who had been sitting quietly, looked surprised. "Right after we ate?"

Ranma shrugged. "We're martial artists. We should be ready to fight anytime. Besides, we are out on the road and sooner or later someone _will _try to jump us. Might as well get used to it."

Akane looked at the pigtailed boy oddly, then smiled. "Okay!" The key had been Ranma's inclusion: '_We're_ martial artists." Besides, now that she had time to decompress a little, she had noticed again that very convenient, very cold pond just waiting to make her life hell. Sparring was definitely preferable.

She should have known better.

They started out a short distance from tents and fire, Akane advancing and attacking with increasingly powerful and angry punches and kicks, and Ranma gliding, dipping and avoiding said attacks.

"Why… aren't you… fighting… Hi-YAAA!… back…" Right punch, left punch, snap kick, reverse spin kick.

"Because… I'm seein'… where… ya need… work." Weave right, feint left, bend back, jump to tuck above spin kick.

Akane let the spin kick take her completely around as she dipped then straightened trying to drop an axe kick with the same leg down on top of Ranma as he was inconvenienced by losing contact with the ground.

Ranma, unbelievably, flowed around her dropping heel. Akane could feel his silk shirt flutter against the skin of her ankle as it slashed down, but somehow he completely avoided the devastating blow. Her heel sank into the soft ground like a descending sledgehammer. It took her a second or two to recover.

"Man, yer slow!" Ranma commented with a grin.

"GRrrrr!" answered Akane with a slashing right hook – that caught only air. She turned her momentum into a crescent kick, gawking as Ranma limboed under the flashing limb.

"Can't kick, thighs are too thick…" he sing-songed mockingly.

"Bastard!" the dark haired girl howled as she tried another slashing right, followed by a left uppercut. They missed.

He flicked the end of her nose with a finger and sauntered away. "Wide open," he cackled, apparently ignoring her.

"Die!" was her response, charging hard and trying to deliver a hard right to the back of his head. He disappeared and suddenly she found she was spinning her arms frantically at the edge of that beautiful, _cold_ mountain pool. In the fading light she couldn't tell how deep it was.

"Oh… You can swim a little bit, right?" she heard just over her shoulder. Her head jerked in that direction, destabilizing her further.

"RANMAAAAAAA!" _SPLOOOSH!_ "…glub!..."

Ranma took an instant to check out the water frothing from her struggles. He winced. "I'll take that as a 'No'." He jumped in, transforming instantly to his curse. The redhead reached cautiously into the zone of thrashing limbs and found the collar of Akane's gi. "Up ya go!" She began to feel bad as the taller girl leaned heavily on her as she choked and coughed in the thigh deep icy water.

Suddenly Akane turned and hammered down on top of Ranma's head. "Don't DO that!"

"Oww!" Ranma hunched and idly noted her feet were driven three inches into the packed silt of the pond's bottom. "What was that for?"

Akane staggered out of the pond and crawled up on the bank, continuing to cough. "You… (hack cough) dumped me in the pond!"

Ranma opened her mouth to object but Akane cut her off.

"I nearly drowned!"

Ranma tried to point out the water was thigh deep, but was interrupted.

"Now I'm all wet and I'm cold as hell and I'm _mad!_"

Ranma nodded to herself. Akane was in fact, all of those.

"Why did you _DO_ that?"

Ranma shrugged and wiggled her feet out of the silt. "All I did was dodge. You put yourself in the pond. I never touched you till you seemed ta be in trouble."

Akane struggled to her feet, fuming. "Are you saying it's all _my_ fault I ended up in the pond?" she demanded.

Ranma climbed out herself and started stripping water from her clothes with long strong strokes of her hands. She considered Akane's words thoughtfully. "Uhhh… Yes?"

Akane stood there glaring at her. Ranma glanced at her from the corner of her eye. Akane flinched internally as she seemed to be found wanting in Ranma's opinion. She felt she had to say something. "So… You say you had nothing to do with me ending up in the pond, even though you knew I couldn't swim?"

Ranma stood up straight and folded her arms beneath her now endowed chest. She looked Akane straight in the eye and weighed the other girl who shifted uncomfortably under the review. She sighed and shook her head.

"I knew the pond was there," she admitted. Akane started to point accusingly. Ranma added. "Why didn't you know the pond was there?"

Akane lowered her arm. "I knew the pond was there," she said defensively.

"Then," Ranma asked, "if you knew you can't swim, how did you end up in it?"

Akane gaped like a fish, searching for an answer. Finally, she came up with, "You insulted me. I got mad."

Ranma looked a little less grim. "Good! Yes, I insulted you and you got mad. And…"

They stared at one another for a while. Finally, Ranma rolled her eyes and began to strip off her clothes, wringing them out and spreading them over the small wood pile. Akane jumped back.

"W-what are you doing?"

"I'm getting' off this wet stuff and layin' it out to dry. What does it look like?"

"But…"

"C'mon, tomboy, You gotta get outa that stuff or you'll get sick. You aren't tough enough yet." The outer clothes disposed with, Ranma began to shuck her boxers.

"Wait!" Akane dove into her pup tent. Ranma's eyebrow quirked curiously as the smaller tent threatened to split at the contortions going on inside. A sopping gi jacket plopped out the flap followed by the pants and undergarments. More contortions and the tent stilled. Akane came out cautiously. She was dressed in a set of green pajamas. "Is it safe?"

Ranma had been contemplating the activity in the tent and briefly the fact that a pretty girl was changing clothes just out of her sight. She had felt a very peculiar reaction in her body, which had caused her to jerk back to awareness and finish undressing, then to change into a clean set of boxers and a T-shirt. She was reaching for the hot water as Akane spoke. "Safe as ever," Ranma answered.

Akane came out and knelt nervously on the other side of the fire. She had cooled down a bit and had to admit Ranma hadn't touched her. She had fallen into the pond on her own. "I'm sorry for blaming you for the pond," she said grudgingly.

Ranma brightened a bit. "That's okay. Did ya learn anything?"

Akane squirmed. "I let my anger get out of control."

"Anything else?" Akane looked at Ranma blankly. The other sighed finally and poured hot water over her, now his head.

"Ummm…" Akane fidgeted. "Was there something else?"

Ranma grinned. "Oh, yeah! A couple of things, in fact. But you'll get there," he added confidently.

Encouraged, Akane brightened and asked, "Is this how your Dad trained you?"

Ranma snorted and made a face. "The panda? Naw – I couldn't do it the way he would."

Akane's face fell. "Why not? I can take it!"

"Akane…" Ranma met her gaze directly. After a moment, Ranma dropped his eyes and looked away with a sigh. "I'm sorry, but I just can't do that."

"But…!"

"Akane, drop it. Go ta sleep. Think about what else ya mighta done in our little sparring match." Ranma got up and stretched. He knelt down and stirred the fire, then expertly banked it to preserve the embers for morning. "Besides, if yer gonna learn what I know, we gotta teach you to swim." He smirked and jerked his thumb at the pond. "Before we're done yer gonna know that pond better'n yer dojo back in Nerima."

Akane blanched. She had known that pond would make her life hell.

**oOo**

Nabiki gave considerable thought to this meeting with Kuno-baka. Where before she had considered him a rich arrogant buffoon and a mark to fill her family's coffers, she now considered him a dangerous landmine in the way of her sister's future, and she recognized this was due in large part to her own manipulations. She therefore, had a debt to pay – and money to make for home and family – before this opportunity went completely south. Besides, Kuno had vast resources – if he thought to avail himself of them. He _could_ find out what she knew on his own, to Akane's detriment and no profit to the Tendos. It was a better plan to keep him dependant on her for information and control what he knew, and when he knew it.

They met at the Italian restaurant not far from school.

"So… What news have you of my beauties?" Tatewaki inquired that afternoon. He had agreed to meet with Nabiki at the corner Italian cuisine kiosk to further his pursuit of Akane and to discover more about the pigtailed girl. Needless to say, basic conversation depended on his generosity.

'_Beauties?' _Nabiki barely restrained laughing in his face. Imagine Kuno obsessing over Ranma as well as her sister. "The price, Kuno-chan…" Nabiki drawled. She sampled her noodles and idly twirled them around the western-style fork she was using. She drew it out till he was purple. "…will be ten thousand yen. Yes, that seems about right."

He let out his breath explosively. "That seems reasonable…"

Nabiki looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. "Kuno-chan, I want you to understand that I mean that each time you interrupt me, it will cost you ten thousand yen to persuade me to resume. Take it or leave it. First ten thousand in advance."

"Nabiki Tendo! You tempt the gods of wrath! What secret do you harbor that I should be so extravagant?" Kuno towered over her and the skies seemed to darken. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a holdover of the morning's rain. With a muffled oath, he withdrew his wallet and moved to swing his bills at Nabiki.

"If that so much as touches me, it'll start at 100,000 yen."

Kuno stopped dead in mid-swing and then slowly lowered his arm. With deliberate slowness he peeled off ten 1000-yen notes from the sheaf. With an arrogant grimace, he laid them on her outstretched palm. "And what news is worth such dear employment? Only unique news of my fierce tigress would warrant such avaricious demands." Nabiki, unimpressed, smirked at him and took her time chewing.

With flowing, practiced movements, he drew his bokken from his sash and brandished it on high, nearly hitting the ceiling. "Without delay, witch! What of Akane Tendo?"

'Worse and worse,' Nabiki thought darkly, losing her smirk at the 'witch' comment. Her voice betrayed an edge when she drawled, "An old training partner of my father's came to stay at our home. Now here's the catch, Kuno-chan. With him was his 16 year old son."

"What mortal dares my wrath by intriguing to gain such proximity to heaven's gift?" Kuno roared. He lifted his fist in the air and shook his practice sword at the fluorescent lights. It was quite effective, as lightning again flashed in the distance outside. "Did I not declare that none should attempt so close an association with the fierce Akane Tendo unless first he bested her in combat?" Thunder rolled as he finished his rant.

Nabiki held out her hand.

He frowned at her.

"Trust me, you want to know."

He paid.

"This boy is heir to the other family that does our school of martial arts. In fact — get this, Kuno — he _did_ defeat Akane in combat. Quite handily, too." For an instant, Kuno simply sat there and gaped.

"It cannot be!" Kuno's shriek of anger and despair drowned out the normal murmur of patrons of the kiosk. People stared at them and some began hurrying to finish and get away from the noisy idiot. "It cannot be! Only _I_ am so skilled, so constant as to win her affections!"

The mercenary Tendo smirked. Nabiki again held out her hand. Her smile was positively evil.

"What?" Kuno's hair was disarrayed and his eyes were wild. "You take advantage, Nabiki Tendo!" He had lost his cool and looked like he was about to lose his sanity. Kuno was a few cards short of a full deck. Nabiki smirked, as fumbling he pushed yet another 10,000 yen into her waiting hand. "What else? What arrow yet awaits to pierce my trembling heart?"

"You are too easy, Kuno-chan." She folded her money away and paused in the hope the shop's owner would relax and not throw them out in the street before she concluded business with Mr. Blue Thunder. "Per an agreement between our father and his — made before any of us were born, I might add — the two schools are to be joined by marriage." She paused to gauge his reaction.

Kuno's jaw was resting on the table and his eyes looked particularly bulbous. She began the countdown. '5… 4… 3… 2… 1… '

"It cannot be! I will not allow it!" he bellowed. He rose to his feet and burst out the door. "Akane, I come to rescue you…" He disappeared down the street.

Nabiki sat and sipped her drink. Tendo-ke was only two blocks away. Kasumi was out shopping and her father was at a city council meeting. Kuno would be back shortly.

Ten minutes later…

"Where?" Tatewaki growled. "Where is my fierce tigress?" He slapped down another 10,000 yen.

Nabiki sighed pensively. This was getting old. "She wasn't happy with having her future husband picked for her, so that night — that would be the evening of the day before yesterday — she left for a friend's house." She glanced expectantly at Kuno, but he was biting his tongue for a wonder, waiting her out. 'Maybe he can be taught.' Bemused, she did a little name-dropping. "You know… Yuka?"

"Hence I shall go like the wind!" Kuno bolted upright and announced to the ceiling tiles. "My fierce- Urk!"

Nabiki yanked him back down to the seat. "Kuno-chan, I'm starting to lose patience. Sit! Stay!" She glared. "I don't blame you for my sister's resolution to leave her home. That was Daddy's bit of stupidity. But you, and _you alone_, are at fault for her decision to _leave Nerima_." Kuno's face went absolutely pale.

"What?" Kuno frowned, feeling offended, then paled. "No… She hath flown. My precious flower hath vanished from her garden." He started to jump to his feet again then paused. "But surely not! For I am her samurai – her warrior of love! Surely she cannot fault me for mine attentions."

"She did." Nabiki patted her lips and laid down her napkin.

"But she will be alone in a dangerous world! I cannot allow it."

Nabiki smirked. "I didn't say she was alone."

Kuno froze for a moment considering the possibilities. "Then, she… is with your father?" he asked finally almost fearfully.

Nabiki picked up a menu and pointed to a dessert. Kuno grumbled but signaled a waiter and waited for the dish to arrive. When Nabiki put her hand out, he laid down another 10,000 yen.

"She's traveling with that pigtailed girl, who beat you up." Nabiki said between bites of her dessert. "It's to be a training journey for my sister. Akane wants to challenge Daddy for the dojo when she gets back." Nabiki paused thoughtfully, a little truth and a little misdirection. "She seems to think that she can avoid marrying for the school that way." She added a glare. "If you hadn't acted like a complete moron that morning," she added, "she might have stuck around. And I might have convinced her to come home. But because of your '_wooing'_ yesterday, I was unable to tell her that her _fiancé, Ranma, _had already left town."

Kuno coughed. He was unable to restrain himself and went into a coughing fit. Nabiki sighed then finished her dessert. "Did I hear," he croaked, slapping down more cash. "Did I hear you say she was to marry… Ranma?" Nabiki nodded. "Ranma Saotome?" Nabiki nodded again.

"That foul, foul monster who would so bind the pure and virtuous Akane for his debauched purposes… that she fled from, into the wilds with only a single frail flower like unto herself as guide and guardian…"

"Remember, that 'frail flower' kicked your butt, Kuno-chan."

"_And_ he hath the same name as my exquisite pigtailed goddess?" He snarled and slapped another 10,000 yen down the table.

Nabiki nodded. "That's right."

"How can this be?" Kuno demanded.

Nabiki considered how to explain. She hadn't thought Ranma might carelessly announce himself in girl form. "You know, Kuno, some families will give their children similar names…"

"They are related? My pigtailed goddess and the dark demon are… siblings?"

"Something like that," Nabiki admitted reluctantly, picking up the money. "I would definitely say they are closely related."

"I should not be surprised. After all, I need look no further than myself and my twisted sister to find a similar example," Kuno mused, darkly.

Nabiki felt her control slip minutely. Kodachi and Tatewaki were hardly examples of opposites. They were more like two sides of the same coin: rich, intelligent, blindly obsessive, inbred elitists. Inspiration struck. She smiled slyly. "She learned her skills on the same training journey with their father. I would have to say, if I were asked, that Ranma is so close to Ranma, so to speak, they might as well be one mind and body."

Kuno was dumbstruck.

"Nay it cannot be so! It must be that the foul monster, who would so compel the wondrous Akane, must have some hold upon my fair pigtailed girl as well." Kuno's hormones struggled with his brain. "How horrible! Who knows what perversions might occur whist alone in the wilds."

Nabiki twitched. "What are you talking about?"

Kuno wrenched a flower from a vase on the table. While Nabiki observed with one eyebrow raised, he turned the flower toward him and spoke to it. "Your pigtails are mine!" He switched positions to kneel behind the flower and spoke in a high-pitched voice, "No, Oh, no! You wouldn't!" Standing again he leered down at the flower. "Hahahaha! You can't stop me! We're all alone in the wilderness! Hahahahaha!" He switched positions again. "Help! Will no one help me? Ooooooh!"

At the end of his sigh of anguish in the high-pitched voice, he popped the blossom off its stem with his thumb. Nabiki sprayed bits of food into Kuno's face as she realized what he was implying. She debated following it with the rest of the bowl. "Very entertaining, Kuno-chan," she said dryly. "But I don't think so. I _really_ don't think so."

"You are too trusting, Nabiki! But I shall not let this crime go unpunished. Avaunt! I shall pit the Kuno fortune against this cretin's wiles and rescue my goddesses from their torment!" Kuno prepared to bound once more from the little restaurant.

Nabiki yanked him down one last time. This had not gone precisely the way she had planned, but…

"You know Kuno chan, even if you're right, you might cause trouble for yourself if you spread this around." He stared at her blankly. "If my Daddy hears that Ranma _might be_ anywhere near Akane, unescorted, he will do everything he can to marry them off, so…" Nabiki leaned over conspiratorially and whispered, "Don't mention the pigtailed girl being with Akane around Daddy."

Tatewaki actually looked thoughtful. "Indeed, Nabiki. Your words here have merit. It shall be as you say." He straightened up. "The less their names are associated, the better. It might, even if her foul sibling is far, cause unnecessary confusion." He threw some money at the waiter and departed in a much more conventional manner.

As everyone in the restaurant breathed a sigh of relief, Nabiki tried to decide whether to be further insulted by Kuno's reassurance of her trusting nature or simply boggle at his assumptions and obsessions. 'He's planning on two-timing my sister – with Ranma?' She pulled out her recently acquired wad of cash and fanned it expertly. "I'll let it go this time, I suppose, but you are one sick puppy, Kuno."

**oOo**

"You really _can't_ swim, can you?"

Akane growled like a half-drowned kitten, supported by Ranma's arm. Her conservative black one-piece was brightened by two stripes, red and orange, that ran from her right shoulder strap down to the middle of her right thigh at the leg hole. Ranma was in a tank top and boxers – her default swimwear under the circumstances. The redhead was really puzzled over Akane's disability.

"Can you float?"

"Can't everybody?" Akane shot back defensively.

Ranma shrugged. "I asked if _you_ could float."

"You don't think I can?"

Ranma laughed, her red hair dark from the chill waters of the pond. She had retrieved Akane several times from its cold depths – though they had yet to get deeper than chest deep. "I'm beginning to wonder."

"Grrrrr…" Akane pushed away from Ranma, took a deep breath and leaned over backward holding her nose while attempting to float on her back.

'Attempt' was an accurate description as she slowly but surely sank beneath the water. A few bubbles rose to the surface. After several heartbeats the water was disturbed by frenzied thrashing. Ranma retrieved Akane to the surface. "Damn!" was all she said as Akane coughed and spewed out some swallowed water.

"I can't (cough!) believe this! Why me?" the dark-haired girl wailed.

"Let me try somethin'?" Ranma asked. "I want to hold you up in the water while you try floatin' again."

Akane, shivering in the water, glared.

"I ain't gonna do anything perverted. I want to help ya out."

The glare dampened to mere suspicion. Slowly, Akane turned sideways to Ranma and leaned back. Ranma placed one hand firmly against her upper back. She hesitated, waiting for the other girl's feet to lift off the pool bottom but they seemed firmly placed. "Scuse me," she said quietly, placing her other hand at the small of Akane's back, just above the scoop of the bathing suit. Glaring slightly at Ranma's proximity to her butt, Akane let the redhead rotate her to horizontal, resting on hands supporting her at the water's surface.

"Am I floating yet?" Akane asked, almost plaintively.

"Don't know." Ranma slowly reduced the pressure she was using to support Akane in the water. She frowned. "Akane… Take a deep breath and hold it. You might go under water, but I'll bring you up before you need to worry. Okay?"

"Ummm…" Akane looked faintly panicked. "Go ahead." She took a really deep breath and scrunched her eyes shut.

Ranma suppressed a chuckle and slowly removed support to Akane's back. The dark haired girl slowly sank out of sight beneath the water, her weight still faintly pressing against Ranma's hands. "Damn!" She brought Akane swiftly back to the surface and straightened her up.

Akane exhaled explosively and inhaled rapidly. The experience had been worrisome to her. "And?"

"Honestly?" Ranma asked.

"Of course honestly! Why do you think I asked?" The glare was back.

"Yer a bloody brick."

'RRRRAAnnmma!"

The cry this time was more despair than anger.

"Hey! I'm Ranma Saotome. If anyone can teach a brick ta swim," Ranma declaimed confidently to Akane's cold-blued yet blushing face, "I can!"

Note: In my research, almost every place I checked about hopping freights also said you almost had to desperate or a fool to try it. Sorta like the Nekoken. Don't be a stupid panda!


	3. Chapter 3

**RANMA ½** is the creation of Takahashi Rumiko – all rights belong to her and her authorized distributors, Shonen Sunday Comics, Shogakukan, Kitty TV and Viz Communications.

The characters are used without the permission of the above. This fan-fiction is in no way meant to infringe upon their legal and financial rights nor does the author in any way benefit financially from this endeavor. This work is done in appreciation to the hours of enjoyment the above creations have given me.

**On the Road Again**

**Chapter 3**

"You can?" Akane felt breathless. Ranma _could_ teach her to swim!

Ranma shrugged. "I _am_ the best."

"How many students have you taught to swim?"

"Ahhh… One?"

Akane stared at Ranma, her face falling. She had a sense of _déjà vu_ but wasn't sure what she was recalling or why. But that time had irritated her as well! "You mean, one other…" He shook his head. "You mean…" She pointed to herself, face falling.

"Hey! We found out what's wrong. Now we fix it," the redhead said skipping over the negative aspects. "But first, let's get out for a while. You're so blue it looks like paint."

"Oh? Okay." They left the pond for the warmer environs of the campfire. Akane huddled close while Ranma scrounged up more deadfall.

"First of all," Ranma began, right after changing back to male, "part of the solution is learning how to use what ya got. It's like those Wushu masters who devised the five monkey forms. Each form is specifically designed to help a specific body type. If yer workin' to yer strengths, yer gonna win. I don't know about your branch of Anything Goes; but in mine, it's a basic principle to play to your strengths and yer opponent's weaknesses."

Akane nodded. That actually sounded sensible.

"Yer weakness and yer strength I think is almost the same thing." Ranma prodded the fire to give off more heat. The morning air was still chilly. "Yer strong; almost too strong for a girl. Muscle is heavy. It sinks. For the same reason, I have a little trouble floating as a guy." He shrugged. "As a girl I got these big fat melons on my chest these days, which is a whole other problem."

Akane shifted uncomfortably due to his terminology.

"You just ain't fat enough."

"Are you making fun of my weight?" Akane jumped to her feet. "I'll have you know—! Wait…" Akane blinked. "I need to be _heavier_?"

"Not heavier. Fatter." Ranma corrected her.

"But I'm at the upper end of the weight charts for my height already!" she protested. "I try to watch what I eat…"

"Chart? I got no idea what yer talkin' about. Look, you work out a lot, don't ya? But you eat only about as much as anyone else in yer family or, maybe, only a little more?"

"A little more," she admitted, embarrassed.

"You should be eating a _lot_ more. You burn more calories than anyone else and you're not keeping enough to turn into fat. You don't have as much fat as even most of the guy martial artists I've run across! It's unhealthy, really, but I guess yer body adapted somehow."

Akane twitched. She needed to be _fatter_?

"Not much we can do about that for now," Ranma shrugged. "We're on short rations as it is."

"So what can we do?"

Ranma assumed the mask of the noble sage, back straight, arms folded and sitting cross-legged, still as a statue. "We'll fudge till I figure somethin' out."

Akane did face-fault at that.

"Don't knock it. My old man woulda fed ya a line o' bull and then stayed up all night figurin' out somethin' dangerous enough to impress ya."

**oOo**

Akane and Ranma hiked into town. "I wonder where we are?"

"I'd rather wonder if we can find some pick-up jobs," Ranma answered.

"That, too." Akane shifted her pack. "If we're going back to the pond, why did we pack everything up?"

"When yer on the road," Ranma said in a tone that held absolute belief, "if you don't wanna lose somethin', take it with you." He shrugged. "Besides, it's good training."

"Like running in on the rails, this morning?"

"Yep!" They came to a fence and Ranma jumped up. "C'mon."

"I'm wearing a skirt," she said in tones that demanded he recognize the obvious.

Ranma turned and squatted. "OOoooo! The tomboy is such a prude! Like anyone would _want_ to look up yer skirt!"

"Jerk!" Akane was on the fence charging him. Laughing, he ran backwards as she tried to attack him.

Ranma abruptly jumped off the wall when he saw the phone booth. His change from tease to attention caught Akane and she followed, her own intentions crystallizing. While Ranma riffled through the phone book, Akane placed a collect call.

"Please state the name of the party you are calling."

"Nabiki Tendo."

"Please state your name," came the recorded voice.

"Ummm…" Akane suddenly nervous, thought fast. "Yuka Matsumika?"

**oOo**

At Tendo-ke Nabiki was leaving for school. The phone rang just as the door closed. Nabiki, hearing the faint tones behind her, gritted her teeth. She would _not_ turn and run back into the house. She _would_ refrain from acting like this might be of any importance.

Soun Tendo had no such control. His little girl had been gone three full days now. He thundered out of the family room, leaving his morning coffee to spill across his paper. He snatched the phone a hairsbreadth before Kasumi could answer it, sending the receiver tumbling almost to the floor, both he and his eldest trying to retrieve it before it hit. Soun ducked for the phone; Kasumi grabbed the coiling phone cord and pulled up. The cord stretched as the phone, almost to the floor, leaped up and caught Soun right across the bridge of the nose.

_Whack!_

"_ITE!"_

"_Oh, my!"_

On the other end of the phone, Akane started to panic. "Ranma! Take this!"

"What?" He hadn't really been paying any attention.

"Take the phone! My dad… he's answering it! He won't recognize your voice. Say you're calling Nabiki!"

"What?" He grasped the phone as she thrust it into his hands.

"Say you're calling for Nabiki!"

Soun finally got the phone. "Hello!" he said desperately. He began to hear the recording telling him it was a collect call for Nabiki Tendo.

Akane suddenly cursed under her breath. She fumbled for her pack and specifically her canteen. She splashed Ranma.

"Hey! Wadja do _that _for?"

"Say you're Yuka if my Dad's on the line."

"What?" Ranma looked at her then at the phone, water dripping from crimson locks.

"Just say it!" Akane hissed.

Finally Soun grew impatient. "Yes, yes! I accept the charges! Put the call through!" He collected himself. "Yuka… Have you any news of Akane?"

"Ummm… Mr. Tendo?" Ranma sweated and looked at Akane. She shook her head and mouthed, 'Nabiki.' "I really need to speak to Nabiki, ol'-" Akane swatted the redhead, who realized belatedly that Yuka might not simply call the Tendo Patriarch, 'old man.' "…sir! I meant, sir!"

"Yes, I'm sure you did," Soun answered absently. "But surely you wouldn't begrudge an old man news of his… his baby girl!" Soun's eyebrows scrunched and he gave a gasping sob. "In any case, Nabiki has left for school. If you want to make school on time yourself, I would suggest giving your message to me." Suddenly the oddity of the situation filtered through. "Yuka-chan, why are you calling collect? You live only a kilometer from here."

Ranma turned to Akane, mouthing, "What now?" Akane shrugged desperately.

They were rescued as the phone was plucked from Soun's grasp.

"Nabiki here. Yuka? What have you heard?" '_Yeah, right! Like Yuka would call collect. Akane, there are times…_' There was silence on the other end for a moment then an unfamiliar voice said, "Just as a sec'."

Then Akane was on the line. Nabiki barely restrained a sigh of relief and turned, giving her hovering father the evil eye. "Move along, Daddy," she said coldly. "If there is anything here for you, I'll let you know."

Looking somewhat whipped, Soun retreated. Nabiki was scary! Then still playing her part, she spoke into the receiver. "What have you got for me, 'Yuka'."

"Nabiki, it's me! Akane," the youngest Tendo whispered into the phone.

"Tell me something I don't know," Nabiki smirked before turning more serious. "How are you doing?"

"Fine. I'm fine." Akane felt tears suddenly welling. She hadn't heard that tone in Nabiki's voice, ever. "Yuka told you?"

"Everything. Do you have anything to tell me?"

Akane blinked away her tears and gave a tremulous smile. "I'm finally learning to swim." Akane gave her sister a quick summary of what they'd discovered and how they were working to 'fix' it.

Nabiki blinked, shocked. A giggle escaped her. "Really? Swimming? How does that… I mean, you know…" She really didn't want to say anything aloud out of caution.

"Relate to my martial arts? Not sure yet, but Ranma says it will." Ranma looked puzzled but grateful when Akane turned a quick smile her way. "I just wanted to call and let everyone know I'm alright."

"C'mon now," Nabiki said. "I need more than that. Where are you? Where are you going?"

"Nabiki, I'm not coming back! Not until I'm ready." Her voice over the receiver held a resolve that Nabiki had never before heard from her younger sister.

Nabiki sighed. She knew that tone. The die really _was_ cast.

"That's okay. I understand, kiddo." Nabiki laughed faintly. "I will not — cross my heart — try to stop you, or give the information to anyone who will. But humor me. I want to be able to help if things get rough."

"Nabiki…" Akane wavered. "I don't… Look, we took a freight train heading north out of Nerima. I'm not even sure where we are." Nabiki clapped a hand over her mouth. Her sister hopped a freight? "Wait a second…"

Akane turned to Ranma who was once again going through the phone book and plucked it from her hands. "Hey!"

"We're in— Hey! Give that back!" Ranma had retrieved the thick book from her grasp.

"Don't tell her." Nabiki heard a different girl's voice over the phone.

"Why not?" Akane's aggravated tones came through more clearly.

"I don't want Pops on our trail," came the other voice she suspected was Ranma's cursed form. "He's not a good tracker, but he _is_ a pain in the ass."

"Paranoid!"

"Bone-brain."

Nabiki grew impatient. When she heard the sounds of 'bi-daa-a' and a raspberry in return, she broke in. "Hey! _HEY!_"

"Nabiki, it is long distance," Kasumi broke in. Nabiki jumped. She had gotten so involved with the call that she'd forgotten Kasumi was there. She looked around and noticed her father peeking around a corner. A look sent him wailing away. She turned to Kasumi who actually looked arch. Nabiki shivered slightly.

"Hel-LO!"

"Sorry, Nabiki! Ranma-baka is afraid his father will come after us."

"Am not."

"Are too…"

"Will you—" Nabiki restrained herself. "Is there anything I can do for you two?"

Ranma's voice came over the line. "Look, Nabiki? For yer own good, keep an eye on Pops. He does stupid things sometimes. Akane will be fine. I swear on my honor."

"You know, if word that you two are traveling together becomes common knowledge, you are toast?"

Ranma grinned. "All the more reason to make sure Akane gets the training she wants, huh?" Meanwhile the Saotome heir thought, 'I knew this would be trouble."

"Keep her safe. And I want regular updates." Nabiki considered. "How are you two going to live?"

"When we need cash, we'll check for day labor in whatever town we're in. We're on our way to do that now."

"Isn't that a bit seasonal?"

"A bit. But there's almost always something. There's also street fighting. But that's usually in the bigger cities along the coast."

"Sounds like you don't approve."

"Garbage fighters, mostly. Street brawlers looking to be some Yakuza's muscle. We'll steer clear of that till Akane's ready."

Nabiki paled. What had Akane gotten into? "You keep my sister away from the riff-raff, Saotome." She growled at the laugh she heard.

"Too late for that. She's with me after all. Hey!"

Akane's voice came back on the line. "Idiot! Don't worry, Nabiki. I'll call as often as I can. We better ring off since it's collect."

"Akane, wait!" But the line went dead.

**oOo**

"Now where were we?" Akane asked as she turned from the phone.

Ranma snorted. "Well, _I_ was about to find us some jobs. Any of the larger towns and cities have agencies that hire on a one-time basis. It can be interesting, and sometimes good training. The pay's not great because it's mostly manual labor, but it adds up for someone not living out of a rental."

"Really?"

"Been doin' it since I was fourteen. Freshen up at the local sento, and be prepared to use your muscles once they give you an assignment. Sure beats having Pops stealing things."

"Your father is a thief?" gasped Akane.

"My father is a lot of things," Ranma admitted. "Mostly though, he's lazy."

**oOo**

Genma sat slumped at the bar in a nondescript port on Japan's western coast. "Damn that boy," he grumbled. Moments later, when it was discovered he had no money, he was ejected into the rain.

The panda stood up and shook a paw, 'growf'ing angrily. The bouncers blanched, slammed the door shut and bolted it. Shoulders slumping, the black and white animal turned away and wandered unsteadily down the street. It glanced hopefully from side to side, looking for shelter to sleep off the hangover that would come. Dropping to all fours, it ambled away.

Another weary traveler did a double-take of the panda wandering by. Newly come from the mainland, she gulped down a meal liberated by stealth and recovered her weapons of choice. Silent as a ghost, Xian Pu of the Nicheiru Joketsuzoku began to follow the clue that fell into her lap.

**oOo**

Kasumi watched Nabiki slowly hang up the phone. "That was Akane? How is she?"

Nabiki sighed and shook her head, marshalling her thoughts. Her elder sister took this as bad news and nearly knotted her apron from wringing it between her hands. "Our little sis has learned to hop freight trains," Nabiki began slowly.

Kasumi's face relaxed in shock then brightened. '_How interesting_.' "Do you know where she is?"

"I could make an educated guess, once I checked the schedules for the freight lines north." Nabiki tapped her lips considering. "Oh well! It can't be helped. I better see Kuno-chan."

Kasumi sighed. "Must you?"

Nabiki nodded. "I want to keep him in the habit of coming to _me_ for his information. If he decides to use a private detective agency we lose control of what he knows."

"I suppose…" Kasumi stiffened and seemed suddenly to be listening to something. "Someone is in the house."

Nabiki looked nonplussed. "Daddy-"

"Someone besides Father. It's not Mr. Saotome, either." They peeked around the corner into the family room."Oh, my! I think its…"

"Young man," they heard Soun grumble warningly like an angry bear, "Just what are you doing in my house?"

"I am that scion of the line of Kuno, son of wealth and duty, rising star of the Kendo world, Tatewaki, the Blue Thunder! I come to pledge my troth to your fair daughter…"

"Nabiki?"

"Nay!" Kuno shuddered.

"Kasumi?"

"Not she, though I am sure she is as beautiful as my love."

"Akane?"

"Even so."

"But she's not here."

"And thus we come to the crux of the matter. I am prepared, if you would be so good to consider my proposal, to bring the wealth and power of my family to brace the problem of her current location."

"Indeed," Soun said, his grief evident behind his mask of control. "What a generous offer. You would promise to find my baby – my Akane – and in return for this…"

"Indeed. It is my fondest wish that my fiery tigress be returned to her proper setting. She will be a jewel I would treasure! Only say the word…"

"**_No_**!"

Tatewaki Kuno and Soun Tendo turned at the very powerful kiajutsu Nabiki inadvertently performed. They sweat-dropped, temporarily confounded by the simple syllable. Nabiki was not in much better shape.

Since that morning her feelings concerning Tatewaki Kuno had transformed from a combination of amusement, greed and pity to active dislike. The fact that she had had no small part in bringing Akane to the circumstances she found herself in and was feeling remarkably guilty about it had caused her to jump before she had planned. She thought fast and on the fly. "Kuno-chan, it's not nice to try to go behind my back." Her tones were ice. "Besides, you have no idea where to begin looking. I suggest you keep me happy."

Now to deal with Daddy: "You were not considering selling my little sister to the guy whose stalking and physical attacks just chased her away. _Were _you" Her father blanched and then turned his regard to Tatewaki with a glimmer of fire in his eye.

"Nabiki Tendo," Kuno pushed his fingers through his hair in simulated mild exasperation. "It would be wiser were you not to meddle in things beyond a woman's…"

"Don't even think about finishing that, Kuno-chan," Nabiki retorted scornfully. "Women were born to meddle. It's bred in our blood and bone. I'm just better than most." 'I also average at least a grade point higher than you in everything except physical education,' she thought.

"But 'twas not I who hounded your dear sister from this hallowed place," Her classmate pointed out, "but rather this despicable and licentious contract you mentioned, forced upon her and binding her to some immoral fiend…"

"Young man, I take exception with that," Soun growled. He wasn't quite there yet, his daughter thought, but now he was primed. "Akane and Ranma are to join the two schools of Anything Goes Martial Arts!"

Kuno shrugged eloquently. "You have two other lovely daughters (even if the one is a tenacious money-grubbing harpy). Surely you need not have Akane fulfill honor's letter. Besides… the stigma of having a scion of the Tendos go ronin…? Surely you do not plan to subject your youngest flower to such publicity. Yet, unless you go to the police, or worse, abandon her…"

"Whereas you have the resources to track her down and drag her back, right Kuno-chan?" Nabiki concluded. "Or perhaps even blab her situation around. Is that what you're implying?" Then she switched gears. "I don't suppose you've considered the counterproposal that it wasn't the contract that chased her away, but _your _actions? I'm sure the police would be very interested in hearing about a malicious stalker who tried to force himself on a young innocent girl?" She smirked. Her father was showing all the signs of the impending eruption of the Tendo temper.

"For shame, you malicious gossip!" Kuno snapped. "To so malign the name of Kuno! Women leap at the chance to match themselves with such notoriety!"

"Oh, you're notorious alright, Tate-kun," Nabiki smirked. "You injured a bystander in your latest temper tantrum and the whole school witnessed it." She shrugged as he spluttered. "He actually hurt Akane this time, Daddy. He was using some sort of compressed air technique that literally destroyed one of the walls of the school."

Suddenly, Tatewaki flinched from an overwhelming sense of threat. An ugly purple face, with a huge gaping mouth armed with fangs, snarled at him from the other side of the table. A long tongue dripping and flailing like a snake's flickered dangerously at him. A hoarse wailing voice cried out, "_You… hhhurrrrt… my… little… girrrrrrl?..._"

Suddenly, the teenage kendoist found himself plastered against a wall, heart beating frantically. Nabiki smirked and turned to her father, now in control of the negotiations. "Here's my offer, Daddy. I'll find out where Akane is. I'll keep track of how she is and what she's doing. I can't promise to bring her back though because… Well, you know Akane."

"But Nabiki!" wailed her father.

"I too would learn of my love's location." Kuno, still sweating and flinching from Soun's technique, attempted to reassert himself. "Surely even such as thou would not deny my troth."

"For the right price?" Nabiki sneered. "Do even _you_ have _that _much money?"

Tatewaki shifted uncomfortably.

"I'll tell you what, Kuno-_chan_," Nabiki offered lightly. "I'll do three things for you – for a price. One; I'll let you know how Akane is doing. Two; I'll act as a go-between. No promises, but I'll pass messages from you to Akane as opportunity presents itself and give you her replies. Three; if I decide that I need you to be the cavalry and ride to Akane's rescue, I'll expect you to be ready and on the mark… And if we do need the cavalry, that information will be discounted. You interested?" She waved down Kasumi's concerned look.

"At this point I have little choice. It shall be as you say," Kuno growled, back on familiar territory – being fleeced by Nabiki. "So. How soon could one expect results?"

"As a matter of fact, you anticipated me. I just got some fresh information. For the right price you can have first dibs."

"Nabiki!" wailed Soun. "What about family?"

"Sigh! Alright, looks like you get lucky, Kuno-chan. It'll only be my regular special rate."

"And the fair Akane is – where?"

"Where she wants to be. We are going to respect her choice here. She's a big girl, but we've been coddling her. She wants to learn to sink or swim on her own." Nabiki winced as Soun broke down bawling.

Kasumi patted Nabiki's shoulder. "I think that was an unfortunate association, Nabiki. I mean considering Akane and swimming."

"Speaking of which…" She held out her hand to Kuno, palm up.

"Oh! This is so exciting!" Kasumi enthused. "I don't think I've ever watched you at work before, Nabiki."

Nabiki smirked as she finished counting the money she made from Kuno. "Okay now, first of all, Akane actually is learning to swim."

"That's wonderful," Kasumi smiled.

"My baby's going to drown!" Soun wailed.

"Why should the fierce tigress take exception to the water? Surely she cavorts with ease among the waves!" Tatewaki was in his own world as usual.

Nabiki snapped her fingers. Kuno scowled but crossed her palm with 10,000 yen. "She's got an instructor she seems pretty impressed with. Apparently, part of the problem all this time is that Akane is so muscular, she's slightly heavier than water."

"Really? That explains a lot," Kasumi nodded sagely. "And what little fat she does carry is mostly in her…" Kasumi colored as she sought a proper description, "…ummm… seat. So when she tries to float she goes head-down."

"My wayward daughter is going to be seduced by her swimming instructor! The schools will never be joined!" Soun offered his own interpretation of reality.

"What! How dare he! This cretin who slinks in like a jackal in a useless but foul attempt to steal the lamb from the lion's jaws, must be met with tooth and claw! Woman! Surely this tableau deserves a rescue! Name the place, reveal the malefactor! Is it he, who…?" He paused at Nabiki's deadly look. "Kuno shall surely save her!"

The middle Tendo's glare reminded Kuno of avoiding certain associations. Kuno put out two 10,000 yen notes, well aware he had asked two questions, and not wishing to be delayed. "Hmmm… The first question sort of answers the second. Okay! No, Akane doesn't need rescuing. Do either of you think so little of Akane that you think she's throwing herself at boys, only days after she left _to avoid_ a boy?" She traced her finger casually on the table top. "Besides, her instructor is female." '_Ranma could hardly escape being a girl during lessons._'

Kasumi hid a smile at this minor prevarication.

"Oh? I… Well… That's… good! Yes, that's good!" Soun said, embarrassed. He sipped his tea to hide his discomfort.

"But, Nabiki Tendo, surely even your hardened heart cannot keep from mine noble ear the name of the bower to which Akane has flown. Even your heart should be moved by a romance that surely encompasses legend and tale, even as from the brushes of the ancients!" Tatewaki, greatly distressed, beseeched his lodestar's sister. Too bad he couldn't accomplish this without insulting Nabiki. No one likes being told their 'heart is hard'. That and previous slights did him no favors.

Nabiki hmmmed. "Oh, Kuno-chan, you know my sister's wishes. She is departed on her training journey and will not be stayed by such as me or thee." Her tone was light and mocking, her anger, a banked furnace. "But, for 25,000 yen each, I will provide you four clues: Akane resides not within civilization's walls. She hears, day and night, the constant sound of water rushing upon sand and pebble. She has feasted upon the bounty found within. The water is cold, yet swiftly becomes twice as deep as her head within a stone's throw of her shore." As fast as she spoke, the young man feverishly counted out the money.

"Yes; _YES_! Now I will seek! Oh, to see my fiery treasure dressed as Venus rising from the waves! Her fine skin bedecked as in pearls by the mist of the seas! Surely it is a monstrous inequity that I am not there to witness her graceful play with the creatures of the mere! Avaunt! I must! I must seek her out that she might profess the love that dwells within her heart for my divine being!"

The kendoist was gone in a flash.

"Oh, my." Kasumi frowned after the young man. "This isn't going to cause Akane problems, is it?"

"What you saw, Kasumi, was a major case of 'assume'. I'm not sure where Akane is, exactly, but she's not near the ocean. Kuno's fantasies got the better of him." She looked at her watch. "Whoops! Gotta go!"

**oOo**

Ranma soon found work on road construction. Akane served as a flagman on the same job, which irked her to no end. She was at least as strong as the men, except maybe Ranma, yet Ranma got the manual labor job and greater pay, while she was relegated to directing traffic. Some training!

At the end of the day Ranma and Akane walked out of town, counting their pay. "Not bad for day labor, eh, Akane?"

"Says you, who got all the benefit of his gender! I just stood around and played Semaphore Sazuka!" Akane snorted. "I could have done what you did."

"You know it; I know it, Akane." He trudged along. "We'll deal with it eventually," he said waving off further complaints. "But we got enough for supplies and ta spare, and we got training ta do." He made swimming motions, then shivered so realistically that she shivered in response.

"I hate my life," Akane grumbled.

"Heh! Cold, clear water," Ranma chuckled evilly.

"Shut _up_!"

They hopped on the tracks, reset their packs and ran the rails. Over the bridge, then along the path returning to the pond and its clearing, laughing, they raced along faster and faster. They came upon the clearing suddenly.

It was not empty.

Four ragged looking men were taking advantage of their supply of wood and Akane's fire pit.

"This is why ya take what's yours with ya," Ranma said in a quiet aside. Akane scowled at the quartet. Somehow, they violated the sanctity of the little glade.

"Hey!" said one of the men. "Wanna share our fire?"

Ranma looked them over carefully. "I might."

"I…" began Akane angrily. Ranma's grip pinched her arm. "…might as well."

He sat down seemingly unconcerned. Akane followed slowly.

"We happened across your fire pit and assumed you had moved on," said the one easily. "Our mistake, though I hope you won't begrudge it. Is there work to be found in town?" He was better mannered than the first speaker and smiled in a disarming manner. Akane suddenly felt better with the acknowledgement of their 'claim' on the campsite.

"Temp-labor. They're fixing some streets in town."

"That can be good paying work," the other noted. "Been at it long?"

"Just today."

One of the other men indicated Akane, but spoke to Ranma. "Yer travlin' t'gether? She yours?" His tone and words were coarse and challenging.

Akane's good feeling hit the bottom of her gut. The way he had said that…

"We're traveling together. She's with me."

"Just what do you mean by that?" Akane snapped. She _really_ had bad feelings now.

"She's new to the road and she's under my protection," Ranma continued easily, ignoring her outburst. "I promised her sister she would be safe with me." He indicated the small cage behind the men. "Dinner?"

The men shrugged and laughed nervously. Akane felt certain that dinner hadn't been legitimately gained. Then the fair-spoken leader made an odd movement as he glanced at his men. His head wove fluidly back and forth as if his neck were rubber. Ranma snapped his fingers. The sound silenced the laughter like a shot.

"You're the Cobra, ain't ya?"

Akane quailed internally at the look they shot him. The leader in particular looked suddenly dangerous.

"I see I'm getting notorious," Cobra said. "You've been around." He didn't move, but his companions scooted back and aside to make room around him.

Akane took this as a flanking maneuver and moved behind Ranma to guard his back. The one who had inquired as to her status with Ranma made kissing noises at her.

"Who might you be?" Cobra inquired.

"I'm the Wild Horse."

The bane of Furinkan perverts watched the others, waiting for the first wrong move. After all, in this she had experience. The leader let his head oscillate again.

"Hmmm. Well, Horse Boy, you can just drop your stuff and walk away. It'll save us trouble and your pretty little friend can avoid getting hurt."

"But…" protested the pervert in his gang. Cobra glanced his way and he went silent, frightened.

"I dunno. That sounded like a challenge." Ranma smirked, his eyes never leaving his opponent. Akane realized, to Ranma, that was what the other man now was.

"Some challenges should be avoided, boy."

"I agree. I'm warnin' ya, this is one of them," Ranma informed him cordially. Akane glanced at the ferocious grin that was decorating her companion's face. His meaning was obvious.

The four men broke left and right, the pervert and his friend targeting Akane, and the Cobra and his largest subordinate going for Ranma. As Akane rose to her feet and set herself, she noted that her pair were wielding pieces of firewood. But the man in the lead left his club in his off hand, as he reached out to try to grab her arm.

As he came, Cobra drew and fanned open a butterfly knife, also known as a balisong. He handled it competently, slashing at Ranma's eyes in an opening gambit. Ranma leaned back slightly. The slash hadn't been a serious effort to harm him, but a distraction. He sidestepped closer to the fire, toward Cobra's knife hand and away from the second butterfly knife that suddenly appeared in his off hand. It also placed Cobra's companion behind the other man, where he was ineffective. His punch lanced out numbing the man's nearside arm. It wasn't quite enough to make him drop one of his weapons but it gave the older man a nasty shock.

Akane stepped into her attacker's reach, closing with him instead of running away. The pervert didn't have time to detect the difference as she delivered a ferocious straight left to his solar plexus, paralyzing his diaphragm. He dropped with a squeak, technically leaving the second man space to swing. Number two discovered how little advantage this gave him as Akane stepped right over the first man she dropped, catching the wrist of her remaining attacker. She pivoted smartly, spun him, and threw him over her shoulder. He then discovered just how cold and deep the pool was.

Ranma stepped back again. It was fun to stay just out of reach of Cobra's admittedly expert slashing blows, but the Cobra was becoming aware how far out of his depth he was. The balisong wielder wasn't even a good challenge to the pigtailed youth. Twice already, Ranma had almost snookered the Cobra's goon, who was stumbling around trying to find an opening to brain Ranma, into braining Cobra instead with that chunk of firewood he was carrying.

"Get the girl!" Cobra snarled after another close call, his head weaving in the characteristic gesture that had given him his name. The butterfly knives wove a flashing net as their wielder drove at Ranma trying to keep him from interfering with his henchmen and his possible hostage.

Akane turned at Cobra's shout and lashed out. The henchman flew over the fire and crashed across the wickerwork cage the men had their ill-gotten 'dinner' in. Dinner made tracks.

Seeing that fun time was finally over, Ranma stepped inside Cobra's reach, apparently wide open. A razor-edged balisong slashed—!

**oOo**

Cobra came to, groggy. Had he too much to drink? He could hear voices; a young man and a girl. Hadn't he been in the middle of doing something? He sat up suddenly, alarmed.

"Look who's awake," the male voice commented. "Your friends left already. I suggest you do likewise."

"What did you do to me?" Cobra groaned.

Ranma shrugged. "I only hit you. Once."

"Damn you!"

"Maybe yer right, Akane," Ranma said slowly. "Let's take him to the police."

Cobra was on his feet in a second, even if he was staggering, vision still blurring from the shock of Ranma's back fist slamming into his temple. "You little punks…" He fumbled for his knives but his pockets were empty. He paled and turned to his adversary. Ranma held up his hands and turned them like a stage magician, showing fronts and backs. Then the hands twitched and the pigtailed boy walked toward him, the twin butterfly knives flashing in the dying sunlight, twirling as expertly as Cobra himself had wielded them.

"You want these back?" inquired Ranma mildly. Cobra cursed and ran out of the clearing. Ranma stopped twirling the knives and held them point up, one in each hand. He pressed with his thumbs against the flat of the blades. One snapped with a chiming tone, the other bent over till it was at right angles to the handle. With a sigh, Ranma searched for the broken blade and then placed them near the fire.

"That was exciting," Akane commented to Ranma before looking down guiltily. "I'm sorry," she added.

"No biggie," Ranma chuckled. "I shoulda realized you might be moving on automatic once yer pervert button was pushed by those goons."

"I really _am _sorry." Akane looked from under her bangs at Ranma's brand new that evening black eye, received not from his part of the fight with Cobra and his goons, but from Akane, immediately after he knocked out Cobra and tried to tell her the action was over. He'd _almost_ dodged her punch.

"We'll work on it." He glanced over at the pool. "Cold water is good for swelling. How sorry are you? Enough to do some swimmin'?"

Akane glared flatly, but had no good reason to refuse.

A little while later, Ranma had her moving in the shallows, in thigh deep water, performing a semblance of the breast stroke under close supervision. Akane's goal was to use her feet as little as possible for support on the pond's bottom. Akane had somewhat overcome her top-heaviness by sheer determination and effort. The pool's fish were wisely keeping to the far side of their habitat and seriously considering migrating. Ranma had no choice about her position, however. The redhead's goal was to refine Akane's technique and develop skill to parallel the determination she was showing.

Akane was happy to be churning the shallower waters. Earlier, Ranma had her in water far deeper than she was tall. The exercise there had been what the other martial artist called the 'frog-kick'. The object was a slow methodical double kick that reminded Akane a little of twin low snap kicks. With Ranma, also frog-kicking and determinedly holding her hands, they called the cadence, bobbing up and down for nearly an hour.

When they stopped to let Akane catch her breath, the silence of the pool and glade was restored. Ranma held Akane's hands and moved them gently through the water in the most efficient manner, to improve her style, explaining how to use the water to her best advantage. The brunette was nodding and attempting to imitate the movements when the redhead went silent suddenly and looked over Akane's shoulder.

Akane turned, fearful the roughnecks from earlier had returned, either better armed or with help. Instead she saw a doe and her fawn at the bank, drinking water. They stared at one another for a long second before the doe gave an odd noise like the bleat of a sheep and, turning, leaped into the shadows, her fawn close behind.

"That's a plus doin' our trainin' out away from the city," Ranma commented lightly. "Things like that really make my day."

"Mine too," Akane answered quietly. Turning she tried to see what was in Ranma's eyes, but it was simply too dark. "I think we're done for tonight unless I'm supposed to feel my way."

"Don't tempt me," Ranma's laugh was almost a girlish giggle. "My old man would take that as a challenge. Probably have you try to swim blindfolded or somethin'. If you said anything to hint a type of training was insane, stupid, dangerous or all of the above, he'd try to figure out some way of doing it to you." Ranma considered for a moment and added in a teasing tone, "though I don't think even Panda-man'd ever consider trying to breath water as part of the exercise."

"Shut up!" the Tendo girl grumbled. "No one ever said anything before." Akane frowned. "But if your dad was so tough, why won't you train me that way?"

"I'm restraining that knee-jerk reaction because I know there are better ways to train." Ranma felt her black eye. "I think the swelling's down. Let's get out. Ya know, maybe if we spar to warm up, we can jump in here to get first aid and more swimmin' practice in, all at the same time. And after you've got the swimmin' down better, we'll start on doing kata in the water." Akane nodded. So this was what Ranma had planned. She gingerly got out of the pool, her thighs and triceps burning.

As they moved away from the pool, its surface began to be marked by silent rings and ripples. A hiss grew in their ears as droplets of water sang through the leaves. Before they had gone two steps, a steady rain began to fall, sending up a cloud of steam from the fire. Their tents, just beyond, became haloed in flames refracted through rebounding raindrops. They rushed for cover.

As Ranma dipped to pick up the pot of hot water, intending to change in the cover of his tent, a lightning bolt seemed to explode only a few meters over their heads, lighting up the clearing into stark planes and shadows. The accompanying thunder crashed like a bomb on their sensitive ears. Akane crouched shocked for an instant before bolting for her own shelter. She noted briefly, before she was under the musty canvas, that Ranma had dropped and spilled the hot water. Turning she peered out at the soaked redhead shaking her fist at the sky before stalking off to her own tent.

Akane stripped and then donned her pajamas. The crash of the thunder and flare of lightning was not unwelcome, but there was a huge difference being alone in the tent as compared to snug in her bedroom in Nerima. The last time she had been in a storm in the tent, she had been much younger and her parents and sisters had been along. She sighed regretfully and moved to get in her sleeping bag. Outside the storm continued unabated.

_Drip!_

Akane's eyes snapped open.

_Drip!_

A cold drop of water hit her square in the ear. She yelped and sat up. Taking her wind-up flashlight from her pack, she turned it on the tent's ceiling. Dark patches were growing here and there and in the center of each glistened a clear crystal of –

_Drip!_

_Drip! _

_Drip-drip! Drip-dripripip!_

"Ranma?" she called out between thunderclaps. "My tent's leaking!"

"What?" Ranma's voice was almost drowned out by thunder.

"My tent's leaking! I can't believe my tent is leaking!"

She shrieked as the flap billowed open and Ranma ducked in. The redhead blinked at the flashlight and appropriated it, examining the darkening tent roof. She shook her head in disgust.

"Waterproofin's shot. Get your stuff together."

"You want me to sleep in _your_ tent?" Akane yelled over thunder.

"Ya wanna sleep in here? If it gets any wetter, ya might as well unroll your sleeping bag in the pond! At least you'll get more practice!" Ranma scooped up her pack and waited impatiently for Akane to roll up her sleeping bag. "C'mon!"

Faced with inundation, Akane joined Ranma in the alpine tent. Ranma kicked her own sleeping bag over to one side and pushed in making room for her less fortunate companion. She dropped the other's pack upon the floor and then squeezed past Akane to secure the flap.

Akane slumped to the floor, her sleeping bag rolled up in her lap. It was so depressing. Anytime something went right, another thing went wrong. She squinted suddenly as a flashlight illuminated her face.

"Better throw down yer roll. This sounds like it'll last all night." Ranma snapped off the light.

Akane felt around and shifted her pack to make a wall across the middle of the tent. It meant she had to curl up a bit, but she at least had some personal space. The light snapped on again.

"What are you…? Oh!" She could see Ranma's silhouette nod. "You know I'm a guy, even though I look like a girl right now. Right?"

"I guess."

"You have no idea how good that sounds."

"What?" Akane scowled. "Why? What's wrong with being a girl?"

"It ain't what I am. It ain't what I was raised ta be. Thanks." The light went out again.

Akane lay there disturbed by Ranma's words and why her awareness was so important to him. She soon heard a soft repetitive sound she identified as Ranma's snoring. Finally, sleep claimed her, as well.

**oOo**

In the pouring rain, a weary wanderer sought shelter for the night. He had endured unimaginable suffering and horrific threats. Exhausted, nearly blind in the dark, he would take what he could get. Unexpectedly, he bumped into an object made of canvas. Seeking desperately, he finally found an opening allowing him access. Pushing into the unexpected sanctuary, he fell immediately asleep. Morning would be soon enough to get his bearings.

A/N: I thought Howard Russell's comment/review was particularly timely. Great minds thinking alike.


	4. Chapter 4

**On the Road Again**

**Chapter 4**

The storm passed just before dawn. The air was sweet, a common and welcome result of electrical storms. Sunlight filtered down through green traceries of leaves whose edges gleamed with raindrops yet to fall from their lofty perches or from the long grasses that carpeted the verge of the forest pool. The brook that fed the pool burbled madly as it passed the additional water that braced its banks. Droplets of water, falling from above, made tiny ringlets in the basin that had been the fire pit and sighed across the verdant spaces, waking the warm strong scents of living earth.

An old tent overburdened with water sagged dangerously, damp and forlorn looking. Next to it a more modern framed affair seemed tight and comfortable, its sides heaving slightly from the sleeping occupants. Here and there, water beaded on the tent's surface, transient jewels set in invisible mounts, all too suddenly discovering a path of escape, to run in silver ribbons to the ground.

Inside, the light of the new day's sun brought a peaceful gray existence to contrast with the black fearsome night that had passed. The taut walls had repelled rain with ease, and yet had drum-like roared the storm's fury now tapped and sang the occasional drip from overhead greenery. In the grey hours between night and dawn, dreams seem particularly vivid.

Ranma twitched. In the recesses of the boy turned temporary girl's mind, she again trained with her father over the clear flat pools in a misty valley. They leapt and struck, parried and kicked, ignoring the entreaties of the guide, concerned only with victory. Ranma's father went plummeting into a pool. Clearly he heard the guide exclaim in horror, "Oh, no! That one fall into Shaomoniichuan…"

And the beast arose from the depths. It was black and white but that was about as close to a panda as it came. In his dream it transformed into a horrifying composite of fears and insecurities.

Vaguely… cat-like.

Ranma whimpered and tried to react but was struck, plummeting down into cold depth that seemed deep as an ocean, to take on a form that wasn't his. A form that did _not_ change back with hot water. A form that found itself disturbingly helpless and angry.

Akane sighed and rolled over in her sleeping roll. She tended to sleep very soundly despite being in an unfamiliar setting. The sleep of borderline exhaustion. Her dreams, now that she was finally relaxing, recalled her home, her friends and family. They touched on other areas as well.

She hadn't said her farewells to a certain local doctor before leaving Nerima. She tried to do so in her dreams, but Doctor Tofu Ono seemed annoyingly uncooperative, wandering around her dreamscape and not acknowledging her concerns or her intentions. When she finally 'forced' her dream a little, awake enough to become aware of its nature, yet determined to achieve her goal at least _this_ way, he had turned her back on her and was puttering around with some salve for a patient.

Putting aside the idea of a patient sitting there waiting for their prescription, she reached out to the doctors arm, willing him to turn and smile at her lovingly. He did so, blue-grey eyes glistening mirthfully from behind his glasses…

Blue-grey eyes? She suddenly noticed his hair was darker and… Ranma?

Akane woke with a faint jerk, blinking in the grey light. She lay there on her side, unwilling to move. That had been just plain wrong. She didn't have any feeling about her commandeered teacher. Well, maybe a little respect; he was very good at what he did, and for a boy, pretty nice considering the last few days. What made him different? She briefly debated throwing the entire Furinkan male student body in the Nyanniichuan.

That was a thought; Kuno as a girl? She tried to imagine it and failed. It was too strange. Holding that thought, why _had_ Ranma seemed so relieved that Akane had seemed to acknowledge the petite red head was a boy?

Intrigued, her eyes focused across from her on her companion. The redhead lay on her side, one hand under her head, the other hand lay relaxed on her elbow. Ranma as a girl had a face that was more cute than beautiful, but that held the promise of beauty to come; a young innocent face that should have belonged to a young innocent girl. Akane gazed at the face, comparing it to the face of the boy that was the redhead's true form. She decided they could be brother and sister, save for the hair. A pity it wasn't reality. She could be friends with Ranma-girl-type, easily. Her mind wandered back and forth through her speculations.

Where Ranma-girl was bright, funny, and interesting, Ranma-boy was arrogant and immature, yet so frighteningly competent. Akane shook herself. They were the same person and Ranma was really a boy… and Akane just wasn't ready to trust that much. Be hopeful, maybe, but not trust. She had to admit that Ranma, even if he was a bit of a jerk sometimes, had tried not to make her feel threatened and seemed pretty understanding. Good thing really, considering she'd clocked him a good one last night after the bad guys had been defeated. She winced. If only he hadn't touched her shoulder from behind…

A thought struck her. When it really came down to it, she had dealt with three of their four opponents. He had engaged the knife wielder, but had let _her_ take on three big men who had not merely been challenging her for a date like the Furinkan Horde. They had really intended to hurt her! And she had won, confident that…

She considered that. He would have jumped in had she been over-matched. He considered her competent to take on the three but had occupied the one man that might have been dangerous to her. It had been a little like a lioness teaching her cub to hunt. She'd have to ask him later why he had done that, and if little encounters like Cobra and his thugs were going to be a common occurrence.

Again she gazed across at the sleeping redhead. Akane giggled to herself, the image she presented. It was so cute! Even as a boy, Ranma had long lashes, but in his girl form, they fluttered as she dreamed, caressing her soft pale skin. Her lips were pouty, her arms, drawn up as they were, pushed her considerable cleavage together. Her knees were drawn up almost waist high making a nice little nest for the little black piglet curled up asleep against her stomach…

Akane blinked. She tried that again. Ranma girl-type …the little black piglet – _with_ a bandanna… curled up asleep against Ranma's stomach, framed by knees, elbows and breasts into a perfectly comfortable nest…

"_Piglet!_?" Akane spoke aloud, believing till then that just possibly, she was still dreaming.

The piglet's ears twitched at the sound and it woke up, yawning. It looked over at her and froze, eyes widening fearfully.

Suddenly the almost holy silence and peace of the glade was broken by the alpine tent attempting to jump in the air, accompanied by an ear-splitting "YAAAAA!"

**oOo**

"Why'd ya have ta scream like that, 'kane?" Ranma grumbled. "It's just a little bitty pig."

"I didn't scream till _it_ started jumping all over the tent!" Akane defended herself hotly. "I think I'm allowed to scream if an animal starts acting like a, like a mad p-ping-pong ball. And what were you screaming 'cat!' for?"

"None o' your business," Ranma said loftily. She caught hold of the 'mad ping-pong ball' by his bandanna and raised the little porker up to eye-level. Ranma crinkled her nose, unaware of her 'cuteness'. "Feisty little thing, huh? I like that."

The little black pig's legs had been churning away madly, desperate to escape. Face to face with the cute redhead, it suddenly froze, eyes wide and searching.

"Gah!" Ranma chuckled. "He's almost… cute."

"He?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ranma turned the pig around and held him up. "Little boar pig. See?"

Akane nodded but looked down embarrassed. "What are we gonna do with him?"

Ranma sighed and, unconsciously perhaps, cradled the little animal against her chest. Scratching him behind the ears, she remarked, "We're livin' off the road, Akane. You know what we should do." But unconsciously, a small smile flickered across her lips as the little animal snuggled closer.

Akane looked first uncomprehending then shocked. "Oh! We can't! With that bandanna he must be somebody's pet!"

"Yah think?" Ranma asked. She lifted the little piglet to eye level again, winked at the soulful eyes that looked askance and examined the well-tied bandanna. Something tickled her memory about that scrap of cloth, but it escaped her at the moment.

"Of course! He's just scared cause those mean men were gonna eat him!" Akane took the piglet from Ranma's arms and cuddled him. Her heart melted at the unusual green eyes that gazed up at her. "And such pretty eyes! They're almost human."

"Ehhh…" Ranma scratched herself and then stretched, yawning. Akane barely restrained a comment about how crude Ranma was being. The yawn and stretch threw the redhead a little off balance. She tipped and kept herself from falling in an embarrassing fashion by dropping one hand to the ground. The action, combined with the Ranma-male-sized, wide-necked singlet caused one of Ranma's breasts to pop out of her clothes. "yYYYYYAAWNNnnnnnn…"

Suddenly the pig squealed, struggled then passed out, a small amount of blood coming from its nose. Akane jerked and held the animal away from her body, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

Ranma peered at the pig. "Looks dead." She smirked at Akane. "If we took the time we could still have breakfast?"

"Ranma!" Akane began angrily, but was distracted when she noticed the loose boob. "Maybe _he's_ simply a normal hentai _male_ and you gave him a show?"

"Huh?" Ranma looked down. "Gahhh!" She tucked her mammary away, grumbling as Akane smirked. 'He' wasn't used to having 'his' chest wander around like balloons on a windy day.

**oOo**

"It really _is_ gone I'm afraid," Ranma pointed out. The two girls were making an assessment not of the comatose piglet, but of Akane's tent.

"There wasn't anything we could do?"

"Not a thing."

"My poor tent!" Akane felt like crying. "We can't… I don't know… fix it or patch it or something?"

"Look at the fabric, tomboy. The weave is rotting away all over the place. It looked okay when it was dry, and only used as a sun shade, but now – it won't even do that anymore. It's comin' apart most places. I guess we'll be sticking around here as long as they have day work and start looking for a new tent for you."

"But I don't want a new tent!" Akane sat suddenly, just missing their little guest who had recovered and was following them around near their ankles, seeming to confirm Akane's opinion of its former 'occupation'. It squealed and dodged out of the way then returned and snuffled softly, pushing at the sitting girl with its snout.

"Ya wanna sleep outside?" Ranma asked curiously. Then seeing the girl's face said, "Look, Akane we don't always get what we want outa life. What we do get we gotta work for!" Ranma yanked lightly at the weave, which ripped rottenly. "This hasn't been used for years, has it? It was never maintained. Where was yer brain, usin' somethin' like this? It was junk even before you walked off with it. It shoulda been tossed ages ago." Ranma turned to add something else, and stopped at the angry, 'focused' look Akane was giving her. "What?"

**oOo**

They decided to leave the little pig at the campsite with some food. If he was there when they got back; fine. If not; more of the same. Akane planned to look for any sign that he had belonged to someone in town. The decision had been somewhat arbitrary. Ranma was leaning toward turning the little oinker into supplies. But between the pig and the tent, Akane put her foot down. Or maybe it was her fist.

"I look like a raccoon," Ranma complained as they walked down the road.

"You heal fast," Akane said primly.

"I mean… Kami! It's just a tent!"

"It was the tent my family used when we went camping," she reminded Ranma. Because all the wood was damp from the storm, the redhead would have to wait till town to get hot water today. "And as for P-chan, it's only fair to give him a chance."

"Whatever," Ranma grumbled. "Ridiculous namin' a little side o' bacon… Ping-pong Pig, sheesh!"

Akane turned and Ranma backed up, not wanting to be in range. "How can you be so… so heartless!"

"When you're in our situation, if it's not useable, it's trash. If ya can't use it, dump it."

"My Mom and Dad and sisters used it to go camping! Jerk!"

"So? My tent is the _sixth_ tent my Pops and I have used since we left on our training trip! I never got all un-cute over any of them!"

"Well, excuse me for not wanting to… not wanting to lose another piece of home! You've been a feckless wanderer all your life; I haven't. That tent had memories!"

Seething, they continued into town. But her final words had struck a cord in him. "Memories…"

**oOo**

Working independently, they got their assignments and directions to their job sites. Ranma was doing road work again. Akane…

…Demolition.

"Hai-YA!" _BOOM!_

"Damn, little girl, you swing a mean hammer!" commented the foreman sweat-dropping.

Akane dimpled. "I'm a martial artist," she said, looking cute and like anything but a martial artist. "This is training as well as work, Tsubusu-san.

"If you can come back tomorrow, I'll double your pay."

"Really?"

**oOo**

Ranma was waiting for her at the edge of town. Akane hurried up and glanced at him. He looked… depressed? …Thoughtful? She was feeling better at the prospect of replacing her tent sooner rather than later. Her reception at her latest job gave her self-esteem a boost and put a considerable amount of yen toward her goal. The job, principally swinging a sledgehammer to demolish a dilapidated building, gave her time to think and do some stress relief. She realized that maybe she had been a little unfair about her old tent. Ranma just didn't understand why she had been upset.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully, breaking into his thoughts.

Ranma jumped and glanced at her nervously. "Uh… Hi?" They set out, back down the rails, packs on their backs. "So… How'd ya do?"

Akane shrugged easily. "Not bad. And you?"

"Finished the road work. Went back to the agency, but all they had was window washing on some of the taller buildings." Ranma wrinkled his nose. "Had to apply as a girl because of the water and then show them I wasn't afraid," Ranma snorted, "of heights. Pay was okay, I guess."

They walked on in silence for a while.

"I'm sorry about bein' mean about your tent," he said finally.

Akane glanced at him, surprised. She hadn't expected him to understand.

"I mean," he amended, "it should been obvious ta me that ya don't know how ta do some things I've done all my life, but I coulda at least shut my mouth. I didn't have to, ya know… rile ya up."

Well, at least she got the apology.

"Of course, you—"

Akane's hand gripped his bicep like a vise and a finger came up to cross his lips, indicating a need for silence. "Apology accepted. Let's leave it at that."

They walked on. Ranma looked more at ease. Akane smiled slightly. He was a jerk maybe, but he meant well. She hadn't liked their 'disconnect' this morning at all, either. Maybe she could try to bridge the gap between their worlds. She cleared her throat and he glanced over expectantly.

"It's just that my tent was special to me. My family used that tent when we went on family camping trips. Then my Mom got sick. After she… died, it went into storage until I took it when I left." Tears filled her eyes again, but she continued resolutely. "It's like… It's like losing a bit of her — my Mom — and it's my fault because I took the tent and it got wet and… can't be fixed. Mom was very special to me." Akane was looking at the ground just ahead of her, but she could feel Ranma watching her and considering her words. "That's why I was so upset. I'll have to throw it away now. And I won't have it to remember her by and neither will my father or my sisters – all because of me. Do you understand?"

Ranma's face showed a curious scrunch of intense thought. He looked almost depressed again. His hand reached out, a rare gesture outside of their sparring, and patted her once on the shoulder. They were silent the rest of the way to the clearing.

Akane's tent lay there undisturbed. Ranma quickly set up his tent and Akane collected wood for the fire. He left her to fix the meal while he used his knife to cut into the sod not far from the pond. Akane dithered, then filled a pot with water. Setting it on the fire to heat, she hurried over to see what he was doing.

Ranma had removed sod in a rectangle about half a meter wide by three times that long. Laying the clods aside, he took a small folding shovel and started digging a short trench.

"What are you doing?"

He paused. "You'll see."

When the trench was knee deep, Ranma hopped out and walked over to her tent. He examined it carefully, pulled the tent pegs, disassembled the poles and then slowly, almost reverently, folded it up. When he was finished, he folded the drop cloth around the tent like a shroud and Akane realized what he intended.

"But… I thought we'd just throw it away…"

Ranma picked up the tent as if lifting a body. He bore it solemnly to the grave he had dug and laid it to rest. Climbing out of the trench, he bowed to Akane and handed her a scrap of tent fabric.

The imagery was vivid. Akane blinked back tears and chanted to herself. "It's a tent; it's only a tent."

Ranma swiftly and efficiently filled in the hole, burying Akane's tent, and replaced the sod, creating a grassy mound. He stood back then and regarded his work. Akane joined him.

"I ain't good with feelin's," he began, "or memories. If it ain't martial arts, well…" He sighed. "I don't remember much except trainin' with Pops. And Pops wasn't much for memories or things to remember outside of the Art. We never kept more 'n what we carried on our backs."

He kicked at the dirt by his feet. "I dunno why Pops is like that, but I had memories that were important to me; things I done and people I met that I wish I kept something to remember them by. I promise on my Honor as a Martial Artist, that along with the Art, my students will have their memories. I will give them the Art for strength and Memory to remind them _why_ they need to be strong. Protect the weak! Protect the people important to us."

He turned to Akane, who was shaking with repressed sobs, and reached out again. He took her hands and closed them more firmly on the scrap of fabric. "For memory…" Then he passed her on his way back to the fire.

Akane sobbed once, more loudly, and looked down at the scrap of fabric in her hands. She blinked. She hadn't noticed the ink, rough kanji spelling… Kasumi?

She spread it out, realizing there were more symbols here. Her own name in kanji ragged but aided by a larger hand. Nabiki… Then in stronger more perfect characters; her father's and… her mother's…

"_Come, Akane dear, let me help you write your name. This will show that this tent belongs to each of us. This is _our_ tent, Akane."_

"_Mine, too, Momma?" _

"_Yours too, Akane. See? That's your name, right with ours, so this is your tent too! Always remember that."_

'Oh, Momma, I _had_ forgotten!' And she fell to her knees weeping as she recalled the joy of her family when they were last together so long ago.

Whether Ranma had learned his lesson earlier or gained something immaterial from his companion, he did not berate her for the burned water and ruined pot. Nor did he mention the little black pig that was missing from their camp.

**oOo**

The next morning, they rose early. Ranma preemptively made breakfast, changing back to male at the meal's end. They packed up their belongings and headed into town. The walk began quietly, both solemn and exchanging hurried glances when they thought the other wasn't looking. After a time, Akane caught Ranma watching and a giggle escaped her, a smile lighting up her face.

Ranma tripped on the rail and took a tumble.

"Ranma? Are you alright?"

The pigtailed boy snorted, and grinned ruefully up at her. "Even I can screw up every once in a while."

Akane scoffed. "_Even _you?"

"Hey! I'm what they look at when they talk about what 'best' means."

"Arrogant ass!"

"Violent tomboy!"

Akane burned for a second, then got a sly look. "I guess that's a good thing, though. After all, this _violent tomboy_ got a call back to her _well-paying_ job from yesterday."

Ranma humored her. "How well-paying?"

She told him.

"What! No way!"

She almost felt sorry for him as he walked along muttering. Almost.

"Should I ask my foreman if you-?"

"No!" Ranma was a bit short.

"I'm sure you can…"

"No! I'm fine."

Ranma reported to the agency; Akane to her foreman.

The day was long.

Akane persevered at her work through the hot day till even her muscles were burning. She could see Ranma working, though it was not on her detail or project, but at a related project. Next door, a building was going up, its steel frame reaching toward the sky. Ranma danced among the girders, taking rivets and other supplies to more highly trained men, rushing along the narrow ways, swinging around uprights, moving as if he was on level ground.

She found herself working harder. She undercut a wall and nearly dropped it on herself, earning a reprimand. She focused on her work thereafter, and was finished in mid-afternoon. Unlike Ranma, she felt no driving need to look for more work and found a kissaten in view of Ranma's work place. She idled her time, nursing a cup of tea, and watched Ranma run and leap and swing. Her face bore a curious and unaccustomed smirk, as the young woman simply appreciated the beauty of the young man.

**oOo**

The day done, they walked the rails again. Ranma was whistling happily. He had been making 150 yen more per hour than Akane had been making the day before. It was petty, he knew, but it gave him a certain satisfaction. He wondered what would happen if they were doing the same job for the same employer. 'Hmmm… Could be interesting. What would Akane do with that degree of competition?'

Akane moved along lightly and surely, apparently unaware of her feet spurning the rail. For the workdays she had switched to pants and blouse – she couldn't get labor in skirts – her mistake on her first day. She idly wondered what Ranma would say if he knew her hourly rate had doubled for her second day on the job. Oh, well. Too bad it hadn't been a full workday. Tomorrow they would rest (read that as do laundry and train). She skipped up the path to the clearing, leading the more heavily burdened Ranma, paid a brief visit to the 'grave' and danced around the clearing and back over to Ranma who had just shucked his pack. The cold water she poured down his back from between cupped hands was just enough to change him.

"HE-EY!"

"Let's train, sensei!" Akane coaxed, dancing back.

"Oh, ho-ho…" Ranma shook the water off that trailed down her arms under her shirt and cinched up her belt. "What if I say set up camp?"

"I'll torment you."

"Oh the shame," Ranma intoned dramatically. "I have a student who is soooo disrespectful!" Ranma stopped and made a show of wiping off her tongue. "Gaah! Thought I heard a fat panda for a minute!" Her eyes flicked back to Akane. "So, ya wanna play, huh?"

Akane nodded and set herself. They had sparred, very lightly before, but with Ranma only dodging and claiming she was evaluating her. Irritating and not very satisfying with respect to working off one's frustrations.

"Let's see what yer made of then." Ranma acted like she was winding up for a baseball pitch, then-

Bang! She was in Akane's face, left driving forward in a punch. It was the first offensive gesture Ranma had ever made toward her. The dark-haired girl nearly froze, but managed to sweep the attack wide with a high block. She stepped sidewise as Ranma used the momentum of her outward swinging arm to prep a snap kick at Akane's knee. The kick glided by the outside of her calf. Ranma was taking her seriously!

Grinning madly, Akane tried a sneaky, spinning knee strike. As she stepped, she turned her foot, rotating her body like a screw and extended then raised her outside knee sharply to aim at Ranma's diaphragm. Her grin widened further as Ranma seemed to ignore her coming strike. The redhead was recovering from her missed kick and starting to drop for a possible leg sweep. Akane's knee was rocketing up to meet her.

But then Ranma's right hand snapped down to meet the rising knee. Akane felt strain as Ranma blocked, but there was no sense pulling the blow. She began to react to the simple physics of strike and counter-strike when Ranma did something shocking!

The smaller girl used the power of Akane's strike along with the power of her straightening support leg to spring up into an alarming, close contact, whirlwind of lightning fast blows. Crouching, Akane defended as best she could but Ranma was fast! She had to go to a sort of zone defense, feeling the redhead pepper her with blows that were not pulled so much as softened. Yet the impacts drove her back and down, nailing her in place. Desperately, she took a hit to side-slip and roll.

She landed awkwardly and looked back. Ranma, landing three-point, smirked. She shot toward her again. Somehow Akane found herself on her feet. She blocked and dodged, then attacked! She crouched and double-punched, using the block to stabilize her rising crescent kick. Ranma caught and locked her lower leg, so Akane used _that_ leverage to twist a kick at her opponent's chin.

"Good one!" Ranma grunted blocking again, but her grip on Akane's leg was loosened. Akane disengaged and rolled away. She sprang to her feet but, again, Ranma was in her face. They traded blocks and blows. "Wadja think of that?" Ranma asked conversationally. "When I was airborne?"

Akane grunted and worked. She realized Ranma was still evaluating her, though now forcing her into responses formed from the student kata of their school. Properly speaking, Anything Goes kata were intended to be performed by two or more people, to get the proper feel of block and strike. She hadn't had the opportunity to do this for a long time. It was familiar like an old friend. "I should have been able to disengage or lock onto you sooner," she replied. "Then you would have been at the disadvantage."

Ranma smirked. "I have to admit ya did good with that. But let's see if you can handle _this _special technique," she said mysteriously. She suddenly reached through Akane's defenses and tweaked her nose, smirking. "Tomboy!"

"OOOOooooo!" Akane picked up the pace. She noticed Ranma was starting to dodge more. Suddenly, Akane disengaged and backed off. "Why are you insulting me all of a sudden?"

Ranma cocked her head. "Why do ya think… _slowpoke_? Could it be I gotta get some exercise, too?" Akane gave her a flat stare and advanced on her again. She feinted then punched, which was blocked. She blocked a counter and then combined the extension of her blocking arm with a sneaky little technique called the six-inch-punch to counterattack. Her arm, already near full extension in the block, realigned and punched without drawing back. Ranma failed to block and her evasion wasn't complete. Akane tagged her. Not hard, but she _did_ tag her. They jumped apart.

"So-ho… The Tomboy _does_ do something besides kempo." Ranma felt her cheek and smiled. "Jeet Kun Do." It was an identification, not a question. "Nice one."

"It _is_ anything goes," grinned back Akane.

"So it is." Ranma approached slowly but with obviously aggressive intent. "Let's take it up a notch." Akane held her ground. "Heh! I'd say the tomboy was thinking she's pretty tough."

"This tomboy _knows_ it!" Akane retorted.

"So the ickle widdle gir-el is gwonna show me how hur daddy taught hur to punch?"

"RRRRRRRRAAAAANNNMMMMMAAAAAA!" WHOOOSH!

Akane hit only air. Shocked, she hurled herself at Ranma swinging and kicking like mad. Though she seemed to be moving faster than ever, Ranma dodged, limbo-ed, ducked and flipped away from every blow – all the while making faces and continuing her barrage of rude, crude (though not lewd) insults. "DAAAAAAMN YOUUUUUUU! WHY WON'T YOU FIGHT BACK!"

After a while, Ranma poured more oil on her fire by setting up camp while avoiding Akane's attempts to pulverize the smirking little redhead.

**oOo **

It was dark when Akane, panting, glared at Ranma, who though still a girl, seemed unwinded, unwound and perfectly at ease. "What happened?" she growled. "You were taking me seriously. And I was so…" 'so happy…' "And then… and then you insulted me! And it was like I was... Like _you_ couldn't be bothered with me! Like I was worthless!"

Ranma stirred the soup. "Why is that do you think?"

Akane snarled. "Because you're a _jerk_!" Her hands tore at the grass beside her. If she'd encountered a rock she'd probably have thrown it.

Ranma sighed but her body language speak of irritation. "My Pops took a solid year working on this with me. And I was only five or six when I started. I really don't wanna take a year." She fixed Akane with a cold look. "Why _else_ might I have insulted you and stopped taking you seriously, do ya think?"

Akane met the icy look Ranma gave her and slowly grew uncomfortable. "Ummm…" She tried to retain her anger. "Why can't you just tell me what you want?"

Ranma frowned. "I'll tell you this much…" Akane glowered, waiting. "Even my Pops knows this: To truly understand something', ya have to discover it for yerself."

"Oh kami!" she snapped. "If you _dare_ say anything like '_That is the way of wisdom, Grasshopper_' I swear I'll… I'll…"

"Get mad?" Ranma was openly glaring now.

"Damn you," Akane said dismissively, her head turning away. The day had been so nice till now. She had felt…

"Ya know? This sucks! Yer so _damn_ close! You've talked around what I'm trying to point out I don't know how many times! I even thought you got it a couple a times!" Akane flinched from Ranma who was now snarling at her. "You ain't the only one here with a temper!" He slammed hot water over her/his head and jumped to his feet. "I ain't no ancient Master, dammit! But I'm the _best_ damn 16 year old martial artist you will _ever_ see!" He poured soup into their separate bowls, spooned out the rice and slammed Akane's portions down in front of her. "And I've paid for it in my blood, my sweat, and my tears!" He then took his portion and stalked away to the pond to sit on a rock by the water.

Akane sat stunned.

She made no move to pick up her food. What? Was it her fault Ranma had been insulting her? She hadn't been insulting him! Well… not much, and certainly not lately. They had been having fun! It had been fun to match herself against Ranma. It was obvious the gender-cursed boy was holding back – Akane didn't have a serious bruise on her – but still!

She rubbed a hand through her hair. When had things changed? They had been sparring. She had even tagged Ranma, gotten through her defenses, and Ranma had seemed pleased and said something about whether she could handle some special technique. She hadn't noticed anything special! Ranma had only insulted her…

No, wait. That wasn't _quite_ it. Ranma had insulted her and she had thrown back the insult. She definitely felt Ranma's approval. And then Ranma had said, 'Let's take it up a notch…'

But she had only dodged more and gotten more insulting. How was that taking it up a notch?

A soft 'Bweee?' at her side broke her train of thought. "P-Chan! You found your way back!" She picked up the little pig and cuddled it.

Ranma heard the animal's grunts and, after carefully rinsing his dishes, wandered over. He stopped short, feeling Akane's sullen anger and noting both his companion and the pig were glaring at him. "I can tell when I'm not welcome," he said coldly, watching the little pig struggle in Akane's grasp. If he didn't know better he'd swear it was trying to attack him. "Humph! Hit the sack, soon, Tomboy. Tomorrow morning we'll resume your water torture before we go into town. Laundry day." He ducked into his tent.

The little pig quivered in Akane's arms. '_My enemy! Here_!' he thought. He turned his head to look up into a face that changed from anger to tears even as he watched. '_He's even torturing these two nice girls_!' His gaze hardened. '_As surely as my name is Ryoga Hibiki! Ranma, for all the evils you've done, the pain you've caused… Ranma, prepare to die_!'

**oOo**

He waited till the two were asleep, then moved away from where Akane had placed him to rummage in Ranma's pack. '_These will do_,' he thought. He pulled the article of clothing with him as he moved toward the door of the tent. He bumped into something. He looked behind him (he'd been backing up due to what he was dragging) and realized he had bumped into Ranma. The pigtailed boy was totally oblivious. It took everything Ryoga-pig had not to attack that 'moronic' sleeping face.

Ryoga tried again for the door and bumped into something. This time it was Akane, who blinked and opened her eyes. "You want out, P-Chan?" she murmured. Ryoga/P-Chan nod-nodded. "What a good little pig," Akane murmured sleepily. She opened the flap wide enough for the pig to exit. It helped that the moon was out. Ryoga pushed through the flap and fixed his eyes on the large coffee can Ranma habitually kept filled with hot water and sat, with its metal lid on the banked coals of the fire pit. Retribution was at hand.

Minutes later, the flap of the tent slowly opened. A broad-shouldered figure ducked in. Holding open the tent flap it located Ranma and stepped over. Then, it waited for its eyes to adjust and made double-sure it had Ranma in its sights. Then, very carefully, it felt for the braided pigtail. Satisfied that Ranma was indeed before him, Ryoga reached out and shook the sleeping boy's shoulder.

"Ranma! Wake up and fight me, you monster!" he whispered furiously. "It's time for you to face judgment for all the pain and suffering you've caused!"

"ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz…"

"Ranma! Wake up! I'm here to send you to hell!" Ryoga shook him harder.

"ZZZZZzzzzz…snork! Iss dark ou' Pops… ZZZZZzzzzz… Lemme sleep…"

Unnoticed by Ryoga, two eyes snapped open behind him and took in the strange presence in the tent.

Ryoga panted with emotion. That damn Ranma wouldn't even take him seriously in his sleep! "_Ranma_!" His fist attempted to nail Ranma's head through the floor.

It was caught and held firmly in a grip like iron. Ranma looked up at the figure above him with narrowed eyes. "Who are you? And what are ya doin' in my tent?" Inside Ranma was fuming. '_Damn him! He could have wrecked my nice tent. I don't need to buy _two_ tents_!'

"Ranma," Ryoga began in a threatening voice.

_WANG!_ Akane brought the camp skillet around in a home-run swing. Ryoga's skull held. The skillet disintegrated.

Ryoga was not unaffected, however. He lurched forward and clutched his head. "_Ite!_" Akane followed this with finding and switching on her windup flashlight, bathing Ranma and Ryoga in an intense eerie blue glare. She then gave vent to her feelings at that moment.

"Who the _hell_ are _you_ and _what are you doing in **our** tent_?" Akane demanded loudly. Then she did a double take. "Oh my _GOD!_ You're practically naked!" she observed (incorrectly, but he wasn't wearing a shirt, certainly.). "_You **PERVERT**_!"

Ranma alarmed, released Ryoga's fist and tried to stop her. "No! Wait till we get him-"

_BAMM-M!_

"…out of the tent… oh, _man_!" Ranma whined tersely.

"Relax, Ranma, I sent him out the flap!" Akane growled.

"Yeah, but… The zipper, the fasteners… If they get busted, it's hell to fix! Why didn't ya-"

"He seemed to know you, Ranma. What's up with that?" Akane interrupted.

Ranma suddenly looked thoughtful. "Hey! You're right!" They exchanged glances, perplexed. "Let's find out," Ranma decided, leaving the tent in a rush. Akane followed close behind.

The moonlight revealed the results of Akane's assault on the intruder. His flat trajectory had carried him past the fire pit, where he bounced once if the divot was any indication, and sailed on. Water glistening in the grass at the edge of the pool indicated he probably achieved splashdown at or just after the second bounce. But there was no one to be seen.

Ranma carefully scanned the edges of the clearing, looking for where he was hiding, but found no sign of their nocturnal visitor.

"P-Chan! P-Chan!" Akane called for the missing little pig. "Oh, no! That guy must have scared him off!"

Ranma broke off looking for the intruder to carefully check his tent. He was much happier afterwards as his tent had survived unscathed. "Hey, Akane! He'll be back. The night ain't gettin' any shorter; let's get some sleep." Even as he spoke, a breeze sprang up and a light drizzle wafted down as clouds scudded across the moon. Ranma, in his muscle T, changed almost immediately. "Damn!"

Akane hurried over. "I can't find him anywhere."

"Nothin' we can do, tonight, Akane. We'll be around a few hours tomorrow morning. Maybe he'll be back by then. He's a tough little thing."

Akane looked worried. "What do you mean?" she asked her eyes darting around the clearing.

"You shoulda seen him earlier, Akane; right after our 'discussion'? He was ready to take _me_ on."

"Huh?"

"He probably felt how ticked off you were with me earlier and was all hyped up to protect you."

Akane punched Ranma lightly in the arm. "I'm still ticked off at you. But then why isn't he here?"

Ranma shrugged and located the tin with the hot water. Curiously it was mostly empty. "Maybe the little ankle biter is chasin' our guest. If you've never been bit by a little bugger like that, let me tell you – it ain't fun."

Akane looked at him curiously. "When did you ever get bitten by a pig?"

"Let's get under cover, first," Ranma relied, shaking droplets of mist from her bangs. As she led the way she began: "Ya gotta understand I was a kid, and I thought this was a game Pops was playin'. And it wasn't exactly me that got bit. We were passin' a farm that raised pigs and neither of us had eaten in two days. Well, Pops noticed they had piglets…" Ranma ducked into the tent and to dry off and change back.

Ten minutes later, Akane was suppressing hysteria as Ranma solemnly promised it was all true. "…When nothin' else worked, Pops and I went in after dark, stark naked, goin' on all fours so if the farmer saw our backs, he'd think it was just more of his pigs. Like I said, Pops had told me that the first one to get over the fence with a piglet got to choose what they got for dinner. The pigs didn't mind me at all; I didn't have any bad intent. It was just a game to me. We wrestled a little in the mud, I got nipped a couple of times; nothin' big, just playin' like kids inna school yard.

"But if Pops fooled the farmer, he sure didn't fool the pigs. The sow nailed him in the ass as soon as she woke up and got a wiff of ol' Genma Saotome. Then the whole herd of em decided mamma pig had the right idea about Pops and piled on too. He lit out across the field with about fifteen pigs chasin' him like hornets from a busted hive."

"And what happened to you?"

"Oh, I got over the fence with a piglet." Ranma laughed.

"So… You stole a farmer's pig and had him for dinner," Akane's voice was flat.

"That's the real funny part. Ya see, Pops had set the goal and the prize, just like he did for most of my training. But he never said he wanted to keep the pig. I didn't particularly want to eat the pig. I had seen a yatai earlier selling some pancake thingies that smelled real good, and I wanted those. So after I red-eyed him and laughed at him for screwin' up, I jumped over the fence and let the pig go back to his mom. After all, Pops had promised dinner of the winner's choice for winning – he never said it had to be pork." They shared a laugh together at that.

"Man, I thought he was gonna kill me," Ranma added quietly. "But it was worth it. Met one of my only good friends because of that. I sure hope he's doin' okay, wherever he is."

(And of course, somewhere else in Japan, a long haired figure suddenly sat up from a sound sleep, sneezing.)

They were silent for a while. Ranma, a boy now, lying on his back on his side of the tent; Akane on her own side, turned toward Ranma. Akane shifted uneasily. Ranma was so… She was having trouble staying angry with him. She really didn't understand him. Especially, she didn't understand what he wanted of her. "Ranma…"

"Yeah, Akane?"

Akane was silent for a while, gathering her thoughts. "What _am_ I doing wrong?"

"You'll figure it out."

"Why did you insult me when we were sparring?"

"I _think_ you've almost got that figured out, but I'm not sure."

Akane lay shocked. "You mean there is a _reason _you're doing that to me?"

"Sure! Everything I do during training has a reason, Akane." Ranma sounded guarded. He gave a little prayer to the kami. Akane sounded like she was having a meltdown over there.

"You…" Akane blurted. Ranma prayed. "You don't insult me because you're mad. You insult me to make _me_ mad!"

"Yer gettin' closer." He clapped his hands twice in entreaty to Amaterasu and any local kami who might have some influence on the temperamental girl.

"How do you expect me to learn anything if I'm mad?" Akane demanded.

"I don't."

"What the hell?" Akane had reached meltdown and felt the frustration of opposing goals. "You insult me to make me mad, but you don't expect me to learn anything when I get mad!"

"You're gettin' warmer…"

"You… want me to… learn…" Akane slowly tried to rearrange the puzzle to her advantage. "…not to get mad?"

There was an odd laugh from the darkness on the other side of the tent. "Got it."

"That's it?" Akane sounded incredulous. "You… put me through all that to… RRRrrranma! There'd _better_ be more to it than _that_!"

There was a sigh. "There is."

"There is? What?"

"How did you figure out about getting mad?" Ranma whispered. "And how do you feel about it?"

"I figured it out for myself and I'm _really_ ticked off I had to… Oh!"

"Yeah." Ranma shifted and Akane felt the other was now on her side looking at her through the dark. "When yer not mad, yer pretty good, ya know? Sure in a fight between you and me, I'd win. I've been trainin' harder and longer. But if ya didn't get mad, if ya thought about the fight, you could do me some damage. Maybe even get lucky. But when one fighter gets mad – lets the anger get away from them – that fighter loses."

"But we were sparring."

"Anything Goes isn't tumbling or shadow-boxing. It doesn't have belts for every set of kata ya learn as ya grow in the Art. It's an Art about fighting and winning. About dyin', if ya make a mistake, or even killin', if ya have to fight someone ya _have_ to stop and there's no other way."

"When Pops and I sparred, we always throw insults as well as fists. It's a head game. If you can beat yer opponent in their head, they'll fall to the fist, too."

"Oh." Akane felt small. She felt much like she had when her mother first belted on her gi and her father led her into her first punches. "My father never did that," she said in a small voice. She expected him to sneer at her training, her father… She'd been play-acting all this time. She didn't deserve…"

"I think I'd half-murder a man who treated his daughter the way Pops treated me," Ranma said. "That would be so wrong!"

"Why?"

Ranma sounded distressed. "It just would! A man who'd do that wouldn't be a man!"

Akane heard a creaking sound and realized that it was the tendons of Ranma's fist, stretching and sliding over bone. Alarmed she spoke timidly, "But how could I have learned before this? I mean it's pretty important, isn't it?"

"I think it's the first thing a student should learn. The very first thing. But how it's taught? Not that way. Not between a father and his daughter. Bad enough between a father and his son." Ranma grumbled to himself. "Maybe a senior student in a sparring session… Damn…"

Akane was quiet for a while. She wondered again what made him tick. "Ranma… You're teaching me, aren't you?"

Ranma didn't answer right away either. Outside the drizzle tapered off and stopped, and the moon came out again. "Well… Not officially. More like guiding ya over the humps I know will keep ya from learning." He coughed embarrassedly. "Yer temper, all by itself, could shut ya outa every quality dojo I know of. There ain't a sensei I've met who'd put up with it. It don't sit well with guys who expect ya to at least pay lip service to Bushido or Budo."

Akane felt icy chills chase their way down her spine. She had never considered what might be required of someone presenting themselves at a koryu or dojo foreign to their style. She had just assumed that if Ranma had done it, _she_ could do it – end of story. But there was a _lot_ more to it than that.

Tatewaki Kuno, for example talked about Bushido all the time but often found convenient excuses of verbal acrobatics to justify ignoring it under certain circumstances. She had always despised him for that. But had she really walked a more righteous path?

Akane through her father's teachings was also supposed to follow that code. She realized suddenly, for example, that while she smugly recited the old virtues of Bushido, she hadn't necessarily followed them. Her father had let her get away with a lot as the 'martial artist' of the family. 'And maybe,' a little voice whispered to her, 'that was why they had tried to make Ranma the heir through marriage.' "Ranma, what have I gotten myself into?" she whispered, rhetorically, but Ranma heard her anyway.

There was a deep exhalation. More than a sigh. "Deep, deep trouble, 'Kanechan," came back the unasked for and almost regretful answer. "My Pops is a thief, a jerk and a lazy panda, but even not counting yer anger, he'd have an easier time reaching yer goal than you'd have."

"Why?" Akane was trying to control it, but it came out nearly a wail.

"Yer a girl. And there's a lotta schools, that just won't bother trainin' girls. Hell! According ta Pops, I shouldn't be wasting my time doin' this much!"

"Why do you then?" she snapped, sharp and accusatory.

"Probably 'cause it'll piss him off?" Ranma offered lightly. "Besides, yer not bad."

"I'm not good!" she countered. "It's not _fair_!" Her voice shook with tears.

"No! No, it's not," Ranma agreed, shaken by her mood swings between rage and despair. He hadn't expected his 'training' to trigger a crisis. He had been totally unaware that such a crisis had been inevitable at some point. Now he had to get her past it. "But that's how life is. Ya gotta deal with it. The way I figure it, I'm cursed, but maybe there's a cure out there. So I'll be lookin' for one while I guide ya around. We'll find ways ta work around it, Akane."

Akane was silent for a while, grateful for the reassurance and well aware it might be beyond his ability to fulfill. "Why can't it just be enough to follow Bushido?" she sighed remorsefully.

"Heh! Bushido's the hard part, Akane. The martial arts is lots easier."

"Huh?" Akane stared silently into the dark. Ranma was silent for so long, she thought he had fallen asleep. "Ranma?"

"I'm awake." 'Man, where did that come from?' "Why is Bushido harder? Right? Just let me try ta put my thoughts inta words." He was silent a while longer. "I don't remember even hearin' about Bushido until I was ten or so and Pops started takin' me to dojo to train or to challenge their students. But when I heard about it, it sounded right. Bushido was the path I'd been looking for. I could tell people admired other people who followed Bushido. For a while, I thought it was some ancient way of a warrior that everyone who was someone followed to become righteous men – the good guys!" Akane could imagine his smirk.

"O 'course, Pops was hardly a role model of _any _virtue, except in the loosest of ways. He was always talkin' about honor, but it seemed to mean so many different things. I'd figured out a long time ago that to Pops, honor meant bein' loyal to him regardless of who else got screwed under.

"But the idea of Bushido gave honor meaning to me. I was twelve, I was feelin' pretty superior and I was lookin' for ways ta piss my old man off." Ranma chuckled, bitterly, Akane thought, in memory. "After I sneered at him a couple of times, when he groaned about his 'dishonorable son', he let me have it."

Akane nodded unseen but her silence allowed Ranma to continue. "The old man knocked me off my feet sat on my back and told me Bushido was a load of crap."

"He _what_!"

Ranma sighed. "Pops said it was just a bunch of crap that some guy came up with to impress his Gaijin professor around when the Bakumatsu was goin' on!" he added by way of reference. "Then everyone and their brother decided it sounded good so they picked it up and claimed it always meant that." The bitterness had increased so much that Akane thought she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a brief flicker of his battle aura. "I was fit to be tied. So, a few weeks later, we found this dojo and when I got a chance, I talked to the Master there."

"So he set you straight?" Akane demanded. "He told you the truth?"

Ranma was silent for awhile. His audience was over brimming with impatience. "He said that I should respect my father."

"What did he mean by that?" Akane demanded. "Did he explain it?"

"He said there was a man named… I forget now, but he wrote the code of Bushido down the way we have it today in an attempt to explain to gaijin what Japanese considered personal moral behavior."

"And?"

"And?" Ranma repeated.

"What else?"

"Yer gonna be pissed… Well, maybe not," Ranma added reflexively. "He said that, 'Words do not live in a heart not willing to accept them. If the words live for you, then their origin does not matter.'"

"And you said…?"

"Akane, what does it matter what I said?"

"Ranma!"

"Okay, okay… I said, 'Of course it matters! You have the virtues of Bushido listed right up there on the wall next to the Kamidama!"

"And?"

"Geez, Akane! He said, "The words live in my heart. If they had first been written yesterday, they could not mean less, or more." Ranma sighed again into the stillness as Akane considered his tale. "Then he reminded me that if Bushido was important to me, then I should not pick and choose. Justice; courage; benevolence; politeness; truthfulness; honor; loyalty." Ranma shifted in the dark. "I'm still tryin' ta figure out what they mean, though."

"Which ones?" Akane asked. Maybe it would give her some insight.

Ranma snorted. "All of 'em." He chuckled then added, "Honor, first, I guess. Then maybe politeness. Pops ain't polite and I ain't never been around anybody who was for long. But I found out it's _real _usefull when I had someone teachin' me. Masters won't put up with disrespect. Before that I mostly shut up and tried ta keep my temper if I was havin' trouble." Akane heard him shift and imagined he was on his back, arms behind his head. "But really; I have trouble with all of 'em."

"Oh…" Akane sighed, "I have trouble with all of them, too."

"You follow Bushido?" Ranma asked in a puzzled tone.

"_RANMA_!" Akane barked, then quieted. 'Temper, temper…' "I always was supposed to. But now, out here, I wonder if I ever did."

Ranma made a clucking noise Akane found soothing, somehow. "Really, I was just teasin'. Yer doin' okay. Ya just have some blind spots cause of how you were treated. That Kuno guy would honk anyone off."

Justice; courage; benevolence; politeness; truthfulness; honor; loyalty; Akane felt her eyes tearing. She would try tomorrow. She _would_ become the martial artist she had thought she was back in Nerima. She had a lot of work to do, but maybe, she had found an example to follow.

**oOo**

Elsewhere, four hard-hoofed feet trudged through the underbrush. A nose snuffled in the dirt, seeking. The thoughts it held were hard and focused. '_Ranma! For all my pain, you will pay_!' Ryoga Hibiki passed the clearing twice before heading off into the unknown, totally unaware how close his nemesis lay.

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A/N: Where did THAT come from? Sorry about that. I didn't expect the late night conversation that sort of wrote itself here. Part of the surprises that crop up when writing on the fly. I promise however, more Ryoga coming up next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**On the Road Again**

**Chapter 5**

Akane blinked up at the light filtering through the tent's fabric. Unlike the cool light of the moon the night before, this was warm and comforting. She glanced over at where Ranma normally lay and noticed she was gone. She lazily considered that fact. Then her nose confirmed that the fire was going and someone was cooking breakfast. Specifically, bacon. She bolted upright and scrambled out of the tent. "Hey! What are you cooking?"

Ranma snorted. "Geez, Akane! We had a rasher in our supplies. I don't need to cook up yer widdle baby." The last was said in a scathing tone.

Akane growled, clenched her fist, and caught the look Ranma was giving her. She counted to ten, taking deep calming breaths. Calmer she inquired, "Why didn't you wait for me, or wake me up? I want to pull my weight, Ranma."

"One thing at a time, Akane." Ranma shifted the pan with the bacon a little further from the heat. Selecting the can they used for that purpose, the red head tossed steaming water over her own head and then tossed Akane the can and an empty pot. "Between the skillet you brained our guest with last night and the pot of water you burned the night before…"

"Hey!" Akane looked hurt. "I was distracted, okay? I mean anybody can boil water!"

Ranma grinned. "Like anyone can float?"

Akane did another ten-count of deep breathing, followed by an additional five count before she felt calm. Her glare at Ranma betrayed she was nowhere near as calm as she thought she was. "Any out-of-shape dummy can float. Are you in that category, Ranma?"

"OOooo! She fights back!" The pigtailed boy looked positively cheerful.

"I'm no shrinking violet," Akane confirmed. She switched subjects. "But really! Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I suppose you'd want me to wake you up like my Pops would."

"Darn right!"

She wasn't sure how, but suddenly she was in the air. Her eyes widened as she hurtled over the bank of the pond. It was always remarkably cold, first thing in the morning. Just before she hit, she took a deep breath and held her nose.

_Ker-SPLASHHhhhh!_ (glub!)

Akane let herself sink as she oriented herself, balancing carefully to keep her butt down and head up. Kicking powerfully with her feet off the bottom, she launched herself to the surface, rising almost waist high in the water before falling back. Returning briefly to the bottom, she gritted her teeth, re-oriented, _again_, then shot to the surface, balancing her scissoring legs with sweeps of her hands. It wasn't perfect. She could hear Ranma cackling away as she turned in place, fixed the correct bank of the pool in her sights, and plunging madly like a bobber with a hooked fish, made her way to shore.

She struggled out of the shallows dripping wet, cursing, and ready to clobber her tormentor.

"Man! You look _angry_ Akane!" Ranma smirked. "I only did watcha asked."

"You, you _you!_" Akane squelched forward with murderous intent.

"Ya might wanna change. Some pervert might come along and see ya like that."

Akane looked down. Her cotton pajamas were nearly transparent wet. With a shriek, she dove for the tent.

"Change into your suit!" Ranma called after her. "We'll train and swim before we go into town. Your technique looked like a rabbit trying to see out of a barrel."

"I can't _believe_ you did that! How _could_ you? That was so…!"

"Temper, temper!" Ranma called back easily. He sighed then and picked up the pots she had dropped when he threw her. "Darn! I have to get my own water, too." He added loudly. "I thought you were sayin' ya wanted ta pull yer own weight?"

Akane's response sounded rude and anatomically impossible.

He walked to the waters edge upstream from where Akane had muddied the pool and started to fill the pots. He frowned at something lying in the water. "What the hell?" Gingerly, he reached down and lifted out a pair of his own pants from among the reeds. Grimacing, he turned back toward the tent. "Oi, Akane! What were you doing with a pair of my pants?"

Akane's head popped out glowering. "What pants?" Ranma held up his discovery. "Akane frowned at them and ducked back into the tent. "I have no idea what you're talking about," came her muffled reply.

"Well then how did they end up in the pond?"

Akane's head popped out again. "Divine retribution?" she answered, too sweetly. She vanished again. Ranma returned to his place by the fire, trying to figure out how he could wring out the pants without changing. He wasn't getting anywhere very fast. Suddenly a thought occurred to him that would explain the current situation.

"Oi, Akane? Wouldn't my boxers have been better?" he said suddenly.

Akane stepped out of the tent dressed for training. "Huh?"

"Yah know…" Ranma shrugged at his pants dripping on the wood pile. "If yer gonna perv over my clothes, shouldn't it have been my boxers? Or couldn't you find them?"

"RANMA! You JERK!"

**oOo**

After training, they ran into town on the rails, Ranma keeping a close eye on Akane in case she attempted to avenge herself on him. She'd had no luck during swimming or sparring. But if she could get past her temper and plan, she would be on her way. Getting angry wasn't really the problem, though he wasn't sure if she realized this yet. Letting anger control her _was_. If she didn't react to his teasing, she might not have the character or strength of will to follow through on her dreams. Unless, of course, she was one of those people who waited until you were totally off guard. He shivered. Teaching was no picnic. But if she pulled through she would have a better chance dealing with the trials that lay ahead.

Akane raced on the opposite rail, seething. She had to get her anger under control. But he was such a bastard! She had to get him back. But how? When? He was ready for her right now, and he was faster and more skilled. But he couldn't hold out forever. Maybe she could distract him?

"Hey, Ranma?"

"What is it, Akane?"

"That guy last night, in our tent…"

"Our tent?" Ranma looked amused.

Akane fumed, counted to ten then counted to ten again. "I'm sorry… _Your_ tent, that you are being so-o-o-o generous as to permit me to share?"

Ranma looked blankly at her then grinned. "Hey! That's right! I am bein' a nice guy, ain't I?"

Akane shook her head. Ranma was the one who was supposed to be distracted! "About the guy in the tent?"

"What about him?" He was so blasé about it, Akane almost face-faulted.

"Is it _normal_ for people to try to attack you in your tent?"

Ranma thought about that. "It's not unheard of."

"It's normal for guys muttering your name to attack you in your tent!"

Ranma frowned. "Well, to be honest. They're usually screaming. And they're usually after Pops."

"Your father? Why? Oh… Right, like with the pigs…"

"Don't know why that guy would be screamin' _my_ name…"

"Muttering."

"What?"

Akane rubbed her temples. "He was muttering – not screaming – your name."

"Whatever." Ranma was frowning again rubbing his chin. "He did seem familiar though."

"An opening!" Akane shouted as she twirled in a leg sweep from her rail.

Ranma hopped it easily. Akane spun around completely in place, her face showing her disappointment. Landing the pigtailed boy nodded thoughtfully. "Nice try. You kept yer balance. Don't announce it next time."

"Dammit!" Akane screamed at the sky. She pointed at his back. "I'll make sure you get yours, Saotome!"

Ranma shrugged and skipped back and forth from rail to rail as Akane attempted to knock him off. She actually wasn't too shabby.

'_On our backs we carried our packs, our laundry a major concern. Once laundry is done we'll return to our fun and continue to train through the day…'_

Ranma blinked at the oddly cadenced thoughts he put together before he realized what it meant. "Akane! Train coming." The cadence of his thoughts had been in sympathy with the wheels of the cars passing over the rails, which had registered on his senses subconsciously. Ba-da Bump! Ba-da Bump! Ba-da Bump!

Forgoing revenge for now, Akane followed Ranma as he hopped down from the rail bed and walked in the beaten path beside. The train came swiftly from the south, roaring past and sweeping with it a cloud of dust and litter.

"That's one thing about trains I could live without," Ranma yelled over the noise.

Akane nodded. Slowly they became more relaxed as the train passed and they drew nearer to their destination. They passed the locations they had labored at, searching out and finding the local Laundromat. The next hour passed in relative silence.

As time passed however, Akane tried to watch Ranma out of the corner of her eye. Everything he did was a test of his reflexes, speed, stamina or all three at once. She watched as he used a revised kata in the process of sorting and loading his washers. He launched coins into their slots, but only after juggling them along the backs of his fingers. Socks briefly swirled like nun-chuk, whirling about torso and shoulders before vanishing into the washer's maw. Coming out, shirts snapped like gunshots. He whirled and danced, '_Showing off, darn him,_' Akane thought darkly. His movements were always controlled, precise and unbelievably accurate. Akane was becoming aware of other women and a few men watching the young man as he went about his business. She became aware she was neglecting her own laundry. Brusquely she tried to focus.

But it was difficult. She wanted to challenge him, not ignore him. He was so _damn_ good at what he did. It was intimidating.

Finally, she had enough. "DAMMIT! Stop that!" she screamed at him. The murmurs of the other patrons dropped to a mouse's whisper as her anger poured off her.

As for Ranma? He gazed at her as if he had forgotten she was there… until he gave a fearfully exaggerated wink and made a great show of carefully minimizing all of his movements with comical shushing motions to everyone around him. The other patrons were amused and enthralled.

Akane wanted to sink through the floor with embarrassment. Inspiration came in a wet ropy strand as her towel came out of the washer as a damp rat-tail. A smirk crossed her face. _CRACK!_

Ranma was suddenly in a loose horse stance balanced atop the industrial washers where his defensive spasm (she hadn't given him time for a leap) had carried him. His arms wind-milled as he teetered, head turned to look back over his shoulder at the evil look the youngest Tendo was giving him. She coiled her weapon. He leaped before she could bring it to bear.

What followed was a slowly accelerating chase as Ranma fled (and mocked) and Akane pursued. Despite the embarrassment, Akane had a lock on the boy. Retribution was merely a matter of time. They dodged carefully but quickly past other patrons of the Laundromat, sliding softly over machines where the way was blocked, closing the distance, until—!

"_What is the meaning of this_?" The manager of the establishment made an appearance. He was a large gruff looking man with a pot-belly and wisps of dark hair on the top of his head. He glared around angrily, trying to discover who was causing the ruckus. He glared at a pigtailed youth, busily and very precisely folding his clothes and packing them away in a huge pack. The boy was whistling a merry tune and looked 'too' innocent. At first, he completely missed the sweating and embarrassed dark haired girl who was practically rolling her clothes and stuffing them into her undersized backpack. She decided she'd hang the rest of it back at the camp. Filled to the bursting, she shouldered her load, and with a nervous laugh exited the building, accelerating away once she was out the door. The whistling youth returned the manager's glare blandly, in fact almost saucily as he finished his meticulous packing job.

Shouldering the monster pack, Ranma strolled out the door, casting a salute to the spectators and earning a mild applause for his performance. Trailing after the nervous dark-haired girl, he quickly moved out of their line of sight through the big picture windows at the front of the shop. Everyone began to speak in jovial tones about the entertainment and the manager's discomfort.

Everyone went silent at the loud, wet '_CRACK!_' and the feminine, "Hah! Got you!" from outside. There was, almost simultaneously a female shriek of wrath. The brunette from before shot past the door of the Laundromat; pack on her back, trailing a sopping towel and giggling furiously. Behind her bounded a little busty redhead carting an awfully familiar massive backpack and promising retribution to come.

**oOo**

Ryoga Hibiki trudged into the town lost in thought. He had finally found his pack and after some effort, extracted his camp stove and heated water. He was human again and his bamboo umbrella would see to it he stayed that way if he had anything to say about it. Laundry was the last thing on his mind at the moment as he hadn't been human long enough in the last week to dirty any clothes. He muttered imprecations as he walked along, cursing a certain pigtailed martial artist for his suffering.

He wasn't expecting to be run over by a little dark haired missile. "Argh!" Like magic, little well defined size 5 shoe prints appeared in a line up his prone body. Mercifully, Ranma skipped around his bruised body barely avoiding adding insult to injury.

"Oi! Akane! I think ya killed somebody here."

"IMSORRY!IMSORRY!IMSORRY!LETMEHELPYOUUP!"

Ryouga perspective altered again as the dark haired girl grabbed his arm and practically launched him to his feet. The red head stabilized him.

"Akane!" Red protested. "Ya can't _do_ that ta someone who's…" Her hand squeezed the arm she held testing the tone of the muscle. "…no, wait. Yer good. This guy is like us."

"Wadya mean I'm like…oh!" Ryoga began with a shout, practically glowing with anger, but the anger snuffed out like a light as he caught sight of his 'tormentors'. He suddenly became very, very polite. "Uh… Hello?" His fingers tapped together nervously.

"Hi! Sorry 'bout that. Didn't see you," Ranma chirped brightly. A sly wink at Akane put the spine back in her from outrage. "My friend there ought to play American Football."

"Are you implying…" Akane began hotly.

"No! No, really! It was m-my fault," the boy stammered. Even Akane looked askance. "I just get so…"

Ranma patted him on the shoulder. "It wasn't yer fault," Ranma insisted. She grinned at Akane. "Tomboy here should have watched where she was going."

Akane's mouth was opening and closing like a fish.

"No," the young man turned to Akane and bowed deeply. "I was at fault. I'm sorry."

Akane shot Ranma a triumphant and silent '_hah!_' before returning his bow. "It's quite alright. I'm just glad you weren't hurt."

"I'm pretty durable," A hand went behind a head and twiddled with a bandanna. "Hi, I'm Ryoga Hibiki."

"Akane Tendo," Akane chirped smiling. Together they turned to Ranma. "And this is…"

"Uh," Ranma suddenly got huge eyes as she took a good look at their acquaintance.

"Ran-"

"Ran-KO Tendo!" Ranma interrupted. "We're cousins!" she added brightly. She ignored Akane's gape and silent incredulous inquiry. A brainless girlish giggle finished the picture and caused her 'cousin's' mouth to shut like a trap.

Ryoga blushed like mad and made an odd almost hysterical giggle himself.

"Can you excuse us a sec?" Ranma asked in conspiratorial tone. "Kay?" She beckoned Akane and pulled her aside.

"Uh… Sure! Of course!" Ryoga acquiesced to her strange reaction for reasons of his own. He looked down, blushing and cursing his suddenly tangled tongue.

"What the hell is _that_ all about," Akane demanded.

Ranma glared at the young man over Akane's shoulder. "He's that guy who was in our tent last night."

Akane almost retorted 'our tent?' when what the redhead said registered. "What?" Akane barely kept it to a hoarse whisper. She glanced over Ranma's shoulder. "Are you sure?" Ryoga smiled shyly and half waved, then looked as if he needed to crawl under a rock from embarrassment.

"I'm sure. He's got fangs. I noticed 'em last night, too."

Akane looked again, catching the nervous grin and the extra-long dentition hanging out one corner thereof. She turned back to Ranma, her face taking on a look of anger and disgust.

"Whoa! Slow down, tomboy!" Ranma grinned evilly. "While he's a bit confused about who I am…"

"I think I'm getting confused, Ran-KO!" Akane shot back, rubbing her temples. "And don't call me a tomboy!"

"Whatever ya say, tomboy." Ranma grinned saucily.

She glared. "Is this why I've gained a cousin?"

"Inspiration, if I say so," Ranma nodded. "I wanna find out why he's out for 'Ranma's' blood before I beat him up. Might be fun."

"Fun?"

"Sure. Challenges are always fun. I mean let's face it Akane, he wasn't tryin' ta kiss me in that tent, ya know?" She looked thoughtful. "Might be less trouble if people think two girls are travelin' together anyway. Remember Cobra's goons thought you and me were together when we showed up like that?"

Akane gave the short busty red-haired girl in the sleeveless silk shirt, her assets making it painfully obvious that said assets were unrestrained, a flat look. "If you say so," she muttered, a feeling of doom sweeping her.

"So let's use my disguise to find out what fang-boy wants with Ranma Saotome!"

**oOo**

It wasn't as easy as Ranma thought. Akane had suggested going to a kissaten, as a friendly gesture to disarm their target. Then, with a few sharp and subtle questions they'd have their answers!

"You look like ya got a lot on yer mind." Ranma smiled winningly.

Ryoga blushed. "Ummm… Yeah…"

Akane's eye twitched. "Yen for your thoughts?"

"Uh, Heh-heh-heh!" More finger twiddling. Akane and Ranma exchange glances.

"Oh, C'mon!" Ranma said crossly. "Ain't cha got anything ta say?"

"I… I…" Ryoga began to sweat. He was flanked by two pretty girls and the redhead, when she leaned on her arms like that, her shirt gapped and showed… He gripped his nose, suddenly.

Akane noticed where Ryoga wasn't looking and kicked Ranma under the table. Ranma rubbed her shin. "What?"

Akane's temper boiled over. She jumped to her feet and slammed her palms down on the table. "What the hell were you doing in our tent last night, you _pervert_!"

They all flinched as everyone in the shop turned and stared at them. Ryoga froze in place, his demeanor as still as a statue's, only his eyes moving and they were like dinner plates. You got the idea, watching those wide eyes: That somehow he was doing a three hundred sixty degree scan of the room, noting the hostile stares focused on him all labeling him as a 'PERVERT' who had apparently accosted these sweet innocent-looking girls the night before. He sweat-dropped, big time. "NononoNO!" he protested. "It wasn't like that!"

"Then what _was _it like?" Akane's voice dripped sarcasm. "Why were you in our tent wearing nothing but a pair of pants!"

Ryoga's eyes seemed to rotate faster. "It was Ranma's fault!" he protested.

Ranma's eyebrow twitched. "How could it be myyyyyeee…. Friend – FRIEND, heh, heh! – _Ranma_'s fault that you were in our tent dressed only in a pair of pants."

An old woman left her seat and crossed, passing close by to their table. She suddenly smacked Ryoga with her purse. "Masher!"

"Ite!" Ryoga covered his head. It had been a remarkably solid sounding impact.

"Will you girls be all right?" she asked them sweetly.

"Thanks, but we're all right. We're martial artists!" Ryoga looked up timidly.

The old woman back handed him, again with the purse, sending him to the floor. Ranma and Akane sweat-dropped. "That's good, dears. Give him what for, for me!" she said back over her shoulder as she departed.

They turned their attention back to Ryoga. He sighed and after a moment's reflection rejoined them at the table. He stared at his hands resting on the table top and sighed deeply. "I was looking for Ranma Saotome. I've been looking for him for a long time, to gain my revenge."

'Ranko' cocked her head. "Revenge for what?"

"_Ranma Saotome ruined my life_!" The other boy was on his feet, shaking his fist in the air. "Because of him, I've seen _hell_!" He didn't notice Akane giving the redhead a questioning look.

Ranma scratched her head. "Just when was this?"

Ryoga clenched his fist. "It was in junior high school…"

F—L—A—S—H—B—A—C—K

_Dozens of young men seethed before the lunch counter of the school. Behind her barrier, an old woman brandished a wrapped package in her tongs. "Last Sukiyaki Bread!" she called out, flinging it over their heads._

_The boys acted like animals, leaping and wrestling for the tidbit till suddenly—_

"_Got it!" yelled a younger Ryoga triumphantly. Just as his fingers brushed the coveted package, a violent form rampaged over him, knocking him beneath the feet of the other losers'. _

_Ryoga lurched to his feet with a snarl. A pigtailed boy smirked at him from only a few meters away, the coveted bread already half gone… _

E—N—D— F—L—A—S—H—B—A—C—K

Akane gaped at him. "Your life is ruined just because he got some bread you wanted?"

Ryoga struggled with his shame. "That… was only the beginning…" He stood there shaking with emotion, fist clenched.

"And…?" Ranma prompted.

"And… I can't tell you anything else."

The girls face-faulted, as did the other patron's of the kissaten, who were avidly eavesdropping. Ryoga blinked at them all, densely wondering why they were acting that way.

"WHY NOT!" screamed the two upon recovery. Ryoga found the space beneath the table a haven from snarling, unpredictable (and to him, anyway) terrifying females. Panting in frustration, Ranma and Akane faced off over the haven of the object of their rage.

Less personally involved, Akane grinned and chided, "Temper, temper…"

"AAAAAARRRGH!" Ranma reeled around the table stomping in red-headed rage. As Akane snickered, she threw some money on the table then reached under and found an ear. "Yer comin' with us, jackass," Ranma growled, hauling the quivering mass of flesh out into the light of day once more. "Get his pack, Akane." Ranma headed for the door.

Akane shook her head and regarded the large pack with its bamboo umbrella sitting in its loops on top. "If I must," she groused and looping her arm through a strap began to walk off with it.

Make that, 'tried' to walk off with it.

After picking herself up off the floor, she set herself, and using all of her not inconsiderable strength, made the attempt again. Red faced, she slid it a few inches closer to the door. "What the…?" She turned to the door, but Ranma was gone with her prisoner. She stuck her head out and noticed the redhead already well up the street. "Ranma! RANMA!" If the other heard she didn't respond.

After dithering a second, Akane abandoned the pack and followed. After all, who the hell would try to steal the thing? "Ranma! Wait for me!"

**oOo**

Akane caught up to them in a vacant lot.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Ranma was shouting. "Kamisama! All this over a hunk of bread?" Ranma punctuated her remarks with open-handed blows that resembled slaps more than the devastating strikes she could have used.

"It was a lot more than a sandwich!" Ryoga whined, protecting his head from the open-handed slaps Ranma was punishing him with. "I lost count of the number of times that bastard jumped on my head and humiliated me!"

"How many sandwiches was it?" Akane asked coming up. The guy must be inhumanly strong, given she could hardly move his pack, but he sure looked pathetic at the moment. "And if it was such a problem, why didn't you just challenge him?"

"I did!" retorted Ryoga. "But he never showed up for the match!"

"What?" Akane exclaimed, shocked. Her eyes sought Ranma's but the redhead was frowning in thought.

"Ryoga Hibiki…" Ranma seemed to savor the name as if tasting a long forgotten dish. Suddenly a fist smacked into a palm. "I remember!"

F—L—A—S—H—B—A—C—K

_It had gone on for weeks. Genma was a cheapskate so Ranma's only chance at a mid-day meal was in the 'last bread of the day', a barbarous custom that pitted the students at the all boys junior high against one another like starving dogs in a pit._

_The old lady would brandish it in her tongs, leering at them, then toss it negligently over their heads. She played no favorites. Only the swift and the strong had a chance, but, that's why they were all there. The gathered boys were stronger, tougher and meaner than any of the others. Possession of the bread was a badge of honor, and symbol saying, 'Don't mess with me.'_

_Ryoga had been the undisputed top dog whenever he had competed. But now this new kid, this Ranma Saotome, with his flashy moves and speed made a fool out of him, day after day! Well! The kid was fast, but could he dish it out? The challenge was issued._

"_Ranma Saotome! For humiliating me… For making me cry these bitter tears… I challenge you!"_

E—N—D—F—L—A—S—H—B—A—C—K

"Bitter tears?" Akane asked, eyes half lidded. "Isn't that a bit overly dramatic?"

"That's what he said," Ranma confirmed.

"If that's so, how come you didn't even remember him when he gave you his name?" Akane demanded. Before an answer could be given, they noticed Ryoga had reacted to Ranma's words. A wind blew old leaves across the empty spaces to rattle against the wire mesh fence at its border.

"Ranma… spoke to you of my pain?" Ryoga was shaking again, but this time in anger. "…my suffering?"

"It was just some freaking bread! Get over it," Ranma said irritably. "As for the challenge, I… I mean Ranma waited for you for three whole days! What else was he supposed to do?" More leaves followed the earlier vegetation, to be pinned by the rising wind against the fragile barrier.

Akane's jaw dropped. "Three _days_?"

Ryoga seemed to wilt. Tears forced their way past his eyelids. "You have no idea of my suffering! My pain! I searched constantly for the site of our challenge! I crossed mountains and rivers! Fought my way through jungles…"

"Uhhh… Couldn't yo-, ah… Ranma have set this challenge in a more accessible place?" Akane asked weakly. My god! The things these guys put themselves through! Was this what it meant to be a high level martial artist?

"It was in an empty lot behind his own house!" Ranma retorted.

They all jumped as the rising wind's action against the old mesh fence caused part of it to collapse in an action suspiciously like a face-fault.

Nervously Akane expressed what she was thinking. "How could he possibly not find…"

"Rotten sense of direction," Ranma said flatly.

The words echoed in Ryoga's ears; 'Rotten sense of direction… Rotten direction… rotten sense of…' It seemed as if slowly the whole world was mocking him. "Arrrgh! It's not that bad!" he protested.

"Worse, maybe?" Ranma offered. Her comment was met with another anguished scream. "Oh, hell. We still don't know why…"

"RANMA BECAUSE OF YOU MY LIFE IS HELL!"

"Oh come on. You were getting lost before I… my friend Ranma showed up. Didn't he even help you get to school?"

"IT'S NOT FAIR! YOU HAVE CUTE FRIENDS WHO DEFEND YOU! WHAT HAVE I GOT? NOTHING…"

"Ryoga-san," Akane inquired gently. "Perhaps you take things too hard?"

"YOU TWO HATE ME! AFTER ALL, I'M JUST A PERVERT…" Ryoga felt himself lost in his dark reminiscences. The world was a dark and lonely place.

Akane swallowed and, in light of the boy's suffering, decided to give him a little (minute amount of) slack. "I forgive you. I can see now I might have been mistaken. I'm sorry I simply assumed you were a pervert. (After all, you _did_ show up half-naked in our tent.)" She shot Ranma a meaningful glare and kicked her shin.

Ranma hopped sidewise away from the blow and looked askance. Slowly it sank in. "Oh…? Oh, yeah! Sure! Of course ya ain't a pervert, Ryoga!" She slapped him comfortably on the shoulder to make sure she had his attention. "You've just had some tough breaks. I'm sure it could happen to anyone." She smiled down at the shocked face of the boy, his green eyes wide at this sudden acceptance. Then Ranma shook as shock of a different kind set in.

The shock of Ryoga hugging her about her knees and praising the kami for such fortune and such nice girls that he had met. Especially the sweet and gentle redhead…

"Oi! OI! My _knees_!" Ranma yelled.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Ryoga let go like he had been gripping a red-hot poker. "I sometimes don't know my own strength!"

'You're telling me?' thought Akane, recalling the heavy pack back in the kissaten. She'd tell Ranma about that later.

"So… We're friends now?" Ranma said flashing a smile.

Ryoga's heart skipped a beat. "Ummm… Yeah! I'd… really like that." Suddenly he felt shy. Ranko? Was that her name? A pretty name. A pretty girl.

"Well can't you tell your friends why Ranma has ruined your life?"

Depression settled in like a shroud. Once they found out his shameful secret…

"You sure know how to enliven a conversation," Akane commented dryly.

"Shaddup…" Ranma grumbled. Then an idea occurred to the aquatransexual. "Hey! If I got Ranma, could you tell _him_?"

It was like someone had thrown a switch. "Ranma? You know where he is?" Both his large hands were encircling Ranma's upper arms like vises. "You can take me to him, Ranko-chan?" His expressive eyes, previously despairing or hopeful in turns, now held steely determination.

"I-I-I'll tell you what," Ranma was a bit unnerved by the regard. "You wait right here and I'll go get him. Okay?"

Ryoga sobbed in relief, then caught himself. "Finally! I will have my vengeance!" he screamed in excitement to the sky. Ranma broke free, an odd expression on her face.

Akane snagged her arm and pulled her close. "Are you sure you wanna face him, Ranma?" she whispered. "Do you have any idea how _strong_ this guy is? I couldn't lift his pack!"

Ranma glanced her way. "Really?" She thought a moment. "Cool." She turned away then turned back. "Akane, watch him like a hawk. Don't let him outa yer sight. He gets lost real easy."

"I do not!" Ryoga protested. "I can't help it if things shift around on me!"

Akane met Ranma's eyes. "Like a hawk. Right." She turned and fixed Ryoga with a steady gaze.

**oOo**

When Ranma returned, with Ryoga's pack and in male form, he overheard the tail end of a low-key argument between Akane and his old acquaintance.

"Look! It's not that bad. I just wanna loosen up." Ryoga had obviously started walking around and Akane had snagged an arm.

"You couldn't find the lot behind your own house. That's not normal for most people, Ryoga." She said, obviously concerned. "We all have problems that we have little control over. Admitting them helps us fix them. Now, please don't move."

Ryoga sighed. "It's not that easy. And it's not something that can be fixed." He suddenly rose up and shook his fist at the sky. "Damn you, Ranma! If you only knew…"

"So tell me, Ryoga," Ranma interrupted, "What did I do to you?"

Ryoga whirled frantically then steadied. "Ranma! At last."

"Yeah, well nice to see you too! What's it been, buddy? About a year?" Despite the ire he felt from Ryoga's earlier remarks, he tried to sound glad to see the Lost Boy. "Hey! You left this behind." He threw Ryoga's pack to him.

Akane boggled at the ease at which the two boys handled the pack; one handed and without apparent strain. She began to move back out of the way, a prickling traveling over her neck.

"Heh! Thanks, Ranma. You've delivered to me the tools of my vengeance – on you." With a simple, economical movement, he slid his umbrella out of the loops on top of the pack. He brandished it at the pigtailed martial artist like a sword. "I'm going to destroy your happiness."

Ranma scratched the side of his jaw. "If ya knew my old man, Ryoga, you'd know yer too late ta do that." He grinned and side-stepped at the umbrella slashed down. "I feel bad about the bread, if that's what yer sore about. How about dinner on me while we talk this out?" In the time he spoke Ranma dodged, ducked under or flipped over at least eight slashing blows.

"It's not about the bread, anymore!" Ryoga snarled. He jumped back, a flat-footed leap that gained him five meters of space and snapped open his umbrella. With a graceful yet powerful half spin, he sent it whirling at his opponent, like a top. The open parasol floated deceptively through the air, its path an arc ascribed by odd accelerations and pauses. Ranma sidestepped lazily and allowed his eyes to follow the thing's path, and also take in where Akane was to one side. His eyebrow shot up as the umbrella came into contact with the wire mesh fence at the end of the lot.

The weapon cut into the mesh like a huge flying saw before shooting sidewise, taking down 3 meters of fence in an eye-blink. Ranma turned back frowning. "Oi, Ryoga! Ya know you could really hurt – YOW!" He ducked spun and danced frantically to avoid a host of buzzing blades that Ryoga had followed up with. Dancing back further, himself, he absently noted that these 'shurikens' were in fact bits of cloth somehow made stiff and sharp by a special technique. "So, ya learned some stuff from the Iron-Cloth School, huh?" Ranma commented, regaining his cool. He saw Ryoga's grin of anticipation and feeling the line of threat, ducked low.

The umbrella had somehow come off the fence to arc back to Ryoga's hand. Had he remained standing, he might have suffered serious injury. Ranma smirked as if this event was hardly worth noticing, but that it needed acknowledgement for courtesy's sake. "That was a neat trick. Can it do more?"

Akane winced. She recognized her traveling companion's shift into the Saotome 'Piss-Em-Off' technique. This could get ugly, fast.

Ryoga sneered at Ranma before suddenly flaring the umbrella open. There was a loud report, almost like a thunderclap and the pigtailed martial artist was sent flying.

Ranma flipped and landed on his feet, ears ringing. He worked his jaw a few times and faintly heard Akane shouting at him. He ducked the powerful thrust Ryoga attempted and spun, wheel kicking his attacker into the bare brick facing of the only building adjoining the lot. Ryoga crashed through this surprisingly fragile barrier with a bang and a cloud of dust and debris. Ranma, still working his jaw and lightly cupping his ears, turned to Akane. "What did you say?" he shouted.

"I said, 'Look out, Ryoga's attacking!' but you didn't need it, I guess." Akane bellowed at him. She turned and looked through the dust and the hole in the brick wall. She could faintly hear Ryoga yelling angrily, apparently disoriented by his displacement. "I think Ryoga can't figure out where he is."

"He never could. Damn! I didn't find out why he was so pissed off at me!" Ranma motioned Akane to follow and began tracking Ryoga. "Man! He is such a … a sore loser! I mean, it wasn't like I had anything _else_ ta eat, dammit! Pops was such a tightwad!" Ranma groused, hopping over the debris. Akane followed gingerly.

Suddenly the wrathful cries cut off in a sudden helpless scream. Akane jumped forward jerking at Ranma's arm. "He's in trouble!" she said as she passed him.

"What?" Ranma replied before following in her wake. "Dammit, Akane, wait up! I still can't hear anything!"

Ryoga was easy to follow. He left a clear trail of destruction behind him with chunks torn out of walls and street posts, knocked over signs and fences and one car whose driver had disputed the lost boy's right of way to his disadvantage. Both front tires were flattened slightly sprung outwards and a deep crease down the hood looked suspiciously shaped like a closed umbrella. The front of the car was also slightly over a cracked off fire hydrant, which was freely distributing it's product all over the street and rushing down a drain. Said umbrella was located only a few meters away, its owner nowhere to be seen.

Akane checked on the driver. "Are you okay?"

The sole occupant was a little balding salary man. "Boom!" he said faintly.

Akane grimaced. "What?"

"Boom!" The little man repeated, a faint odd smile distorting his face. He pointed at the hood of his car. "Boom!" he insisted. Faintly, Akane could hear sirens in the distance. Someone had called the police.

The spray quickly converted Ranma to female form. The redhead looked over the car glancing at Akane and the driver who was beginning to get hysterical. Hooking her foot under the umbrella, she propelled it out of sight, back the way they had come. Whistling she joined Akane who was beginning to panic. "Hiya!"

The little man glanced up at her fearfully.

"Yer gonna be alright, mister," Ranma said in her most reassuring tones. She smiled cutely.

The little man tentatively smiled back at her then, beaming, informed Ranma, "Boom!"

Ranma grimaced, glanced at Akane and worked a finger in one ear, trying to equalize the pressure. "I think I got that." She gave the area one last look around before the police and rescue crews pulled up to help the driver and assess damages and causes. "Let's go, Akane. We can't help and we can't have the police askin' us questions."

Reluctantly, Akane followed her as she picked up the umbrella on the way and they returned to the empty lot. There, Akane watched as Ranma tried to get the umbrella to perform as it had for Ryoga, testing its aerodynamics and invulnerability. Satisfied, if not expert at it, she slid it back into its loops on Ryoga's pack. Her look, when she turned to Akane was introspective. "What am I missin'?"

Akane blinked. She reached over and nudged at the umbrella where it sat atop the pack and winced at its apparent heft. How the hell had the little redhead had the muscle and leverage to do that? "Missing about what?"

"Ryoga's really ticked at me. Why? It's more than about the bread, I'm sure."

"Maybe it's because of how long it took him to find you?" Akane offered.

Ranma waved dismissively. "Ya hafta know this guy. He's always lost. I met his mom once and she sent him out for some groceries. Took him a week to get back; he only complained they kept moving the store. Time wasn't a factor."

"He said that because of you, he'd seen hell. Think he got lost there?" Akane quipped. She stuck out her tongue when Ranma scowled at her.

"Get serious." Ranma looked at the deserted pack and pondered. "He followed me for revenge… And I missed the duel because Pops dragged me off to China…" She felt she was on the verge of something. "He followed me to China."

"He what?" Akane had blanched.

"That dumb baka followed me to China! To Jusenkyo! He's got a curse! That's gotta be it!"

"And he's blaming you!" Akane finished. They stood there silent for a long thoughtful moment.

Finally, Ranma picked up her pack and Akane's and pointed Akane to Ryoga's heavily loaded gear. "Pick it up."

"What?" Akane protested. "Why?"

"Least I can do is look after his pack for him."

"I understand that, I think. If he's lost, how will he ever find it, again? But I meant why do _I_ have to carry his pack," Akane pointed out, "instead of you?"

Ranma smirked. "Trainin'. I'll carry mine and yours; you carry his."

Akane pulled at the canvas and leather monster and turned sad eyes on Ranma. "It's too heavy!" she pouted.

"Man, Akane. Just use that lip! Looks like it's got more muscle than your arm does, anyway." The smirk was back.

The pack surged up and dropped onto a willing shoulder, staggering the small dark-haired girl. "_Ranma_…" What was worse was she knew she was being manipulated. "You are such a jerk!"

"Master of the Anything Goes School of God-like Jerk-hood! Yep, that's me!" The redhead turned lightly under her load and began to saunter off. She hadn't made two steps before a squeal brought them both up short. They turned to find a little black pig gazing at them from the street.

"Hey! It's P-chan," caroled Ranma cheerily. "C'mon kiddo! She opened her arms and received a little black bundle that snuggled comfortably against her chest. "Ya know? You really grow on people. Look, Akane! P-chan found us!"

Akane grinned and scratched the little porker behind the ears. P-chan grunted softly in contentment. "I was so worried!" She didn't even notice that she was beginning to carry Ryoga's pack more naturally. "Where have you been?"

"Bweeee!"

They laughed and began their trek back out of town. The day, almost over, had ended on a positive note. P-chan was back!

Akane broke the quiet companionship once they were on the rails. "Do you really think you're right though? About Ryoga?" Neither noticed the little pig's ears twitch up and focus on their words.

"Oh, yeah. The water in the street? The umbrella? I didn't see any clothes, but he mighta carried them off with him if he was human-sized, or bigger. Or he mighta got washed down the drain there."

"How horrible," Akane whispered.

"Poor guy. Jusenkyo sucks for sure," Ranma agreed. "Well… we'll just hafta wait till he shows up again, to know for sure."

"Yeah…"

They mused a few moments longer, then stopped and asked simultaneously, "I wonder what the he turns into?"

Nestled in Ranma's feminine arms, a little black pig held very still and hoped they never found out.

**oOo**

Akane was beginning to struggle as they walked the rails back to the camp. Ryoga's pack was heavy, even without the umbrella and the dark-haired girl was beginning to feel it. Ranma was watching her covertly, assessing her stamina, when the redhead suddenly realized she was changing her breathing. "Akane!" she said sharply.

"What?" she panted. Sweat was beginning to pearl on her skin.

"Breathe right."

"What!" Akane blinked at him curiously.

"Breath like you're doing martial arts."

She slowed her pace as she focused and slowly brought her breathing under control, taking the air in deep, breathing out through her mouth, but in through the nose. Ranma watched her narrowly as she swayed a little from the increased amount of oxygen then steadied as her body adapted. Within moments she had picked up the pace and was no longer looking like she was on her last legs. She shifted the weight and smiled at the shorter girl. "I guess that helped me get my second wind."

The simple statement floored Ranma. Didn't she have any idea what she had done? They walked on in silence for a while.

"So… Do you think Ryoga will show up again?" Akane asked. The small form sitting atop Ranma's pack twitched but the light buzz of piggy snores continued without interruption. He had fallen asleep in Ranma's arms so the redhead had very gently transferred him to the hollow between her pack and Akane's.

"Of course. He apparently showed up in Jusenkyo when we were there, and found us here. I'm sure we'll see him again."

Akane smirked. "So what do you think he turns into, Ran-_ko?_"

Ranma scowled at the assumed name. "Hey! There's no need for that now."

Akane cocked her head. "Actually I thought it was a good idea you had, having an alternate identity."

"It was?" Ranma answered a little startled.

"Do you always do that? Jump off into strategies without really thinking them through?" Akane asked giggling.

"It was too planned! I really… Stop laughing at me!"

"You're a rotten liar!" Akane laughed. "You pulled that right out of your butt and you know it! You almost gave yourself away a couple of times."

"_Grumble, grumble, _tomboy…"

Akane rasberried the redhead. "Really, though. It was a good idea. We don't need Daddy trying to marry us off if he thinks Ranma Saotome is traveling with me." She wiped some sweat from her brow.

Ranma noticed, checked Akane's breathing and gave her a stern look. "Akane! Breathe right!"

Akane jerked, almost fell off her rail and focused on her breathing again. "What's the big deal?" she demanded while paying closer attention to filling her 'dan tian'.

"Your breathing," Ranma growled. "How can you stand to let it go all to hell like that when you can feel the benefits?"

Akane glared at her and continued breathing deeply. "In any case, Ranko will protect me from Ranma Saotome."

"Heh! More like protect Ranma Saotome from Akane Tendo," the other smirked. Her eyes narrowed. "Breathing…"

Akane stopped. "This isn't easy you know!"

"It should be. That's the point!"

"Why should I breathe like this all the time?" Akane leaned toward the redhead while carefully distributing her weight on her rail.

"If you want to be like me you must live and _breathe_ martial arts!" Ranma snapped from the opposite rail. "Ya want results, right, Akane?"

"You better believe it, Ranko."

They stared at one another.

"Damn," Ranma said looking away and shaking her head. "I just know I'm gonna regret this. Probably end up with some damned mental problems."

"Like you don't already have them," smirked Akane.

"Oh, good one, Akane. Real cute… for a mouth breather." 'Ranko' made a fish-mouth face.

"Twinkle toes."

"Thunder thighs."

"Kettle boy."

"Hammer girl."

They glared at each other then broke down laughing. "Kami, Akane. That was good. And you really got me with that wet rat-tail!"

"I couldn't believe you! I was so embarrassed! You were acting like a clown!" Akane laughed looking back at his actions at the Laundromat. "You don't really expect me to act like that in public, do you?"

"It would help if you loosened up a little," the redhead sighed. "Akane, you have to work out ways to train yourself even in your sleep, if you can. As you get better yer gonna get more people ticked off at you and some of them are gonna hunt you down ta get revenge like Ryoga did to me."

Akane groaned and shifted the pack again. "I hope they'll have better reasons than Ryoga had." She quickly resumed her deep breathing. "Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you help me? I mean more than showing me around to the sensei who taught you. There is so much I need to know and you've already done it! And you notice things like my breathing and why I couldn't swim, and… and that would solve the problem of dealing with those sensei who won't teach women. Besides…"

"Whoa there, girl." Ranma stopped and turned to Akane. "You want me, Ranma Saotome, to be your sensei? For real? Akane Tendo, the girl who hates and distrusts boys on general principles, you wanna be _my_ student?"

Akane stared at the redhead, idly noting how the setting sun was bringing the highlights out of her hair, giving her a ruddy halo. Her blue eyes were wide and surprisingly open, as if she was offering Akane a look at her soul. Akane considered what she said and then nodded. "I, Akane Tendo formerly and officially ask Ranma Saotome to be my sensei..." She ended her request abruptly and paled. "You are allowed to teach, aren't you, Ranma?"

"Wouldn't have been much use to yer dojo if I couldn't," Ranma shrugged. "Though it makes me wonder if the old man had - wadya call 'em? Altered Motives?"

"Ulterior motives, Ranma." Akane corrected with a wicked little smirk over his mistake. But she let it slide. "Could we still be friends, Ranma?"

"I don't know, Akane," Ranma's voice seemed distant. "Pops almost stopped bein' my _father_ when I became his student. I'm not sure you're supposed to like your sensei. Might be against the rules er somethin'." Her voice firmed up. "I wouldn't mind tryin', though."

"Let's try then," Akane agreed, smiling softly. "I think you can work out what worked and what didn't for you. I can trust you to do what's best for me."

Ranma smiled brightly. "Thanks, Akane. You'll probably think I'm nuts sometimes, but I think I can get you where you need to go." Then Ranma's smile turned into a smirk. "But to do that, I need to get a better idea where you're coming from. How long did your father teach you and what's the last thing you remember him showing you?"

As the sun sank behind the mountains to the west, they journeyed back the path to their camp, new bonds and responsibilities already binding them together for the long journey ahead. And with them a tired piglet shifted, yet kept his place, his dreams of revenge for once absent, replaced by new dreams of a certain redheaded girl…


	6. Chapter 6

**On the Road Again**

**Chapter 6**

Ranma, uncharacteristically, was thinking.

This was something that many of his acquaintances would not have given him credit for; Ranma Saotome didn't think — he acted! But a significant part of his winning ways was strategy on the fly. He just didn't start using his brain until he had achieved a certain threshold of stress.

His first instinct, if you could call it that, was to begin imposing a series of ridiculous trials to determine the limits of Akane's strength and skill, and test her commitment as his student.

Then common sense and bitter experience took hold. He had never taught before, but _he_ was not his father.

"Not this time, Pops," the redhead muttered. The panda, after all, was the only sensei Ranma had encountered who seemed to consider dropping toddlers off roofs to teach them to fall was a reasonable teaching method. And that wasn't mentioning that c-c-c, that feline thing with the pit.

"What?" Akane asked.

"Just working out how best ta train ya, Akane."

"I'd love to be able to dodge the way you do."

"Hunh!" Ranma nodded abstractedly, his mind following that tangent. Akane's father had focused primarily on attack and counterattack – how to apply the hard techniques of Anything Goes to an attacker. He had drilled her in the fastest and most devastating methods of landing a blow where it would count the most and would end a fight quickly. All offensive moves geared toward a fast-paced and violent fight. Her defense was almost entirely offensive preemption of her opponents. Her blocking, though, was almost entirely self-taught, extrapolated from her experiences and observation of her opponents.

It would completely alter her style. Akane almost always attacked first and struck first, even if her attacker was the first to initiate hostilities. Had any of her opponents been fast enough to dodge or durable enough to persevere, she would have been in trouble. Her footwork was very linear, following the cardinal points set firmly on the ground. It was impressive, when you thought about it, how well she had done. To add his dodging abilities to her aggressive style… He'd have to introduce her to the Pit and the Pendulum routine and the box-step, among others.

Akane had been dojo taught, and incompletely at that, then dumped into a world of untrained and semi-trained opponents, and one main opponent who was deliberately holding back. This had inhibited her big time. She had potential…

Suddenly, Ranma was almost excited. In almost frightening clarity, he could sympathize with the forces and motivations that had driven his father; the thought of molding such skills and producing…

"Uhhh… Ranma, you're giggling; and it really sounds disturbing," the dark-haired girl informed the redhead at a somewhat greater distance than she had been before.

Ranma came back to Earth. Affronted by the concept, she growled, "I was not giggling." She added to herself 'And I am _not_ my father, dammit!'

"You were going 'Ee-hee, hee, hee…' and your hands were opening and closing," she growled back. "I swear if you turn into a pervert at this point, I'll kill you!"

Ranma snorted and tried to hide a blush. Was that what he looked like? How embarrassing! The very thought helped free him from the remaining grasping tendrils of megalomania. Waving impatiently at her concerned glare, he began to plan a training regimen. He was gonna make Akane the best!

Well… maybe the best _after_ him…

oOo

Akane had been deeply and profoundly relieved. Ranma had accepted her as his student! Instead of merely shepherding her around the various schools, he was going to train her as well!

Of course if he planned to giggle like that while he was teaching, it would be a bit unnerving; but since Ranma already had a good grasp of her strengths and weaknesses from their daily sparring, she felt _real_ confidence in her eventual success for the first time since leaving home.

Ranma had been whistling while gazing at the horizon thoughtfully. Suddenly the redhead stopped and laughed, turning to Akane and bringing a fist to slap into her other open hand. "Hey! That's right! If you're my student, then you have an obligation to take care of me as your sensei."

Akane blanched. To her horror, the only thing that came to mind had her doing rather perverted things with Ranma. But… she could… _trust_… her …**_him_**. Right? "uuuuurrrRRRHA!"

Ranma blinked at Akane's sub-vocalized shout and her aura's brief flirtation with the visible spectrum. "What I mean is," the redhead added carefully, "you can take over more of the camp stuff, like cooking."

Akane felt in quick succession, relief, horror, excitement, then sliding from hopeful anticipation to resignation. Relief – that he wasn't planning anything perverted. That was good. Horror – that she was expected to cook. _Her_? _Cook_?? "AHAHAhahaha…" Excitement – Well, technically, he was a captive audience. Hopeful anticipation – surely, with the limited simple ingredients they had available with their meager budget, she couldn't screw things up _too_ badly. Resignation – That kind of thing hadn't stopped her in the past and she didn't have Kasumi running damage control.

Ranma moved along silently, eyeing her brand new student. Had _he_ acted like that back when his father had first suggested the training voyage? He couldn't remember.

Akane tried to calm down and center herself. She checked her breathing, adjusted Ryoga's pack and hopped off the rails with Ranma onto the path back to the clearing. Wasn't a student, she reminded herself, traditionally expected to be doing basic chores as part of their apprenticeship? Now that she thought about it, she remembered her father speaking in hushed tones of tasks set by his nameless Master of the Arts to strengthen their skills and test their loyalty. Except for waiting on their 'Dread Master' hand and foot, and providing for his daily fare, these tasks had remained nameless.

She supposed this was due to typical nonsense about not revealing the purpose of a lesson to a student who had yet run that gauntlet. She felt confident that, if their luck with the temporary jobs held out, she could manage to earn enough to pay for the essentials. Arriving at the campsite, she jumped at the opportunity to delay the inevitable. Demanding that Ranma relax for a change, she quickly and competently set up the tent. She almost stowed their packs though, before Ranma reminded her that their food was in them.

She tried to laugh normally at her 'error', but it came out as a nervous titter that caused her sensei's eyebrow to twitch, once.

When Ranma moved to get water, Akane jumped to do that little service. She even managed to get the fire started on the first try and set the water on the flat rock they used as a sort of hot-plate. Desperately, she looked about for something else that could 'competently' do before attempting dinner. She froze. Ranma was reaching for the packs again.

"No, no, no! I said _I'd_ do that, Ranma!" she found herself insisting, retrieving the pack and delving in for supplies. 'What am _I_ doing??' she thought. 'I don't even have a cookbook! Kami help me; I'm _really_ going to have to channel Kasumi!'

(Elsewhere, Kasumi Tendo suddenly had an inexplicable rash of clumsiness that was quite upsetting. The Tendo's decided she was channeling her little sister and ate out that evening.)

The distant heirs to the Anything Goes Styles were not so fortunate. Bemused, Ranma just sat back out of the way and waited for the water to heat. The pigtailed one remembered his apprenticeship under Genma Saotome and considered the current predicament. He had been five or six when he'd learned the basics of field cookery from a drifter family, as his father wasn't good for much more than cabbage and rice. He vaguely remembered being nervous and excited, but compared to Akane, he had been a rock of calm and reason. What was it about cooking that had _her_ all riled up?

Ranma's brows creased faintly as she watched Akane scramble to prepare their meal. It would, by necessity, be a simple one, due to the limited supplies on hand. But from the energy the girl was putting into it, you'd think she was preparing a multi-course meal for a head-of-state – one that demanded to be fed yesterday.

And did the aqua-transsexual not remember someone commenting less than enthusiastically about Akane's cooking? Who had that been? And when and where? Hmmmm…

Ranma reached for the hot water that was finally steaming, though Akane hadn't noticed in her furious search for ingredients. Grinning at P-chan as the little black pig, in fascination, watched each move that Akane made, Ranma deliberately stepped out of the animal's line of sight to change, sighing as he transformed. No sense having P-chan make the connection between the Jusenkyo curse and Ranma's real self. The little pig didn't like men and considering what Cobra and his goons had planned, he couldn't blame him. Now, what had he been pondering?

Oh, yeah! That Yuri girl… Or was it Yuka? She had commented that the school needed a hazardous materials emergency crew on call due to Akane's bizarre…

FOOOOOOSH!!!! Ranma's pigtail stood up like a ca- feline's tail at the sound and wash of heat of a missile engine going off behind him.

Akane had fortunately turned away just before whatever she had mixed together in their largest remaining pot ignited. The pillar of flame licked at the leaves overhead for several long seconds before guttering to a subdued flicker hidden in the clouds of black smoke ascending from the abused cookware.

Akane had scooted away from her culinary experiment to sit beside her companion. "Dammit! Why does this _always_ happen?" she shrieked. She turned to Ranma and paled. His visage looked almost demonic in the flickering light of the flames.

"This… always… happens?" Ranma blinked at her.

Akane grimaced. Behind her, P-chan quivered in mortal terror. He hadn't seen something like this since he last nearly fell in a volcano – or maybe it had been hell.

"Well… _some_ times?" Akane offered, mortally embarrassed.

Ranma decided maybe he ought to cook dinner 'one last time'. He fixed her with an enraging smirk and said, "After we eat – it's time for special training."

Akane brightened up. Special training is what she'd been dreaming of!

oOo

Akane got the first inkling of why the phrase 'special training' was a term too vague for trusting students of a sensei of Anything Goes.

After dinner Ranma decided the first thing to do was to reconstruct exactly what Akane had done up to the 'ignition point'. Akane was to consider it a 'learning experience'. He was thinking along the famous lines of 'what didn't kill you, made you stronger'. They were still alive, so…

Ranma had her run through what she had done. She had been attempting a rice dish, though not one based on the glutinous white rice considered normal to Japanese cuisine. In the past, she had always gotten that wrong. So, she thought she'd try something different. Her first step in this case had been to brown the rice. So she had dumped her rice, rather haphazardly and without really measuring it, into their largest pot. Next she had added some lard as they didn't have cooking oil…

"We don't _have_ lard," Ranma commented. "And if yer browning rice, don't the lard or butter go into the pan first?"

"I know! I just forgot! And it really didn't matter because I added it right after the rice went in."

"It really didn't matter, 'cause the rice blew up!" Ranma snorted. "But what did ya use for lard? Like I said, we didn't have any."

"I must have gotten it out of Ryoga's pack?" she decided after a moment.

Ranma frowned. "And why were you mucking around in Ryoga's junk?"

"Maybe," Akane retorted with some heat, "because we didn't have any lard?"

"That makes sense – sort of," Ranma groaned. "But you shouldn't mess with someone else's gear. And that doesn't explain what blew up."

"Maybe it was the ground chili peppers?"

Ranma stared.

"Well something blew up! And the last time I remember something like this happened, I had added way too much ground chili pepper."

"She wasn't kidding?" Ranma muttered before commenting. "We don't have that either. When did you add this ground chili pepper?"

"I didn't!" Akane paused. "At least I _think_ I didn't. I couldn't have, really, if we don't have any."

"Then let's check the 'lard' first, that we didn't have," Ranma decided, "before we go looking after the chili pepper that we didn't have either. What did you use that ya _thought_ was lard?"

Akane fumbled around her pile of ingredients rather fruitlessly. "Ummm…"

P-chan actually found the item first. It was a little ¼ liter can of jelly-like substance. Akane brightened when he squealed and presented their find to Ranma.

"Jellied gasoline," he read from the label.

"That's not _lard_!" she blurted, paling.

"Definitely _not_ lard." Ranma agreed. "This is fuel for a camp stove. But at least we know what blew up."

Akane winced. "Ummm… Oops?"

"Big oops!" They exchanged glares for a moment. "Okay, first things first," Ranma said dryly, deciding to move on. "Have you ever fixed _any_ food item? Successfully, I mean."

Akane broke eye contact and looked at the ground.

Ranma stared for a bit. He'd never met a girl who couldn't cook, at least a little.

Akane began to sniffle.

Ranma turned chicken and waved his hands frantically, as if he were preparing an escape to a convenient tree. "Oi! Oi! That don't mean ya can't learn! Don't cry!"

"B-b-but everybody I know can cook… except _me_!! _Why_?!"

"We'll figure it out! I promise!!

oOo

At lunchtime in town the next day, Ranma presented Akane with a package wrapped in brown paper and grinned wickedly. As cars meandered past on the nearby street he proudly flourished his gift and declared, "Welcome to Martial Arts cooking 101!"

Akane ripped open the package to reveal a very stained and decrepit cookbook that _maybe_ came from a third-rate 'used' bookstore. She flipped through the pages.

"First lesson: always follow the directions. Do not _ever_ substitute or deviate without first getting the approval of a more experienced cook."

"You mean these _aren't_ just suggestions?"

Ranma slapped a hand to his face and groaned. Recovering, he struggled to keep the ball rolling. "No. They are not 'just suggestions'." He thought a moment. "Look, Akane, when you're a beginner in the Art, you learn in a certain pattern in order to do it right."

"Kata."

"Right. A recipe is a basic kata for making food. You'll notice in this book that they give you a list of all of your ingredients and how much of each thing you'll use?"

"I understand that. I've used cookbooks before."

"But only for 'suggestions'," Ranma lightly tossed her words back in her face.

She pouted and glowered at him.

"You _do_ realize that you just begged me for additional temper-control training while you work on this?"

Her pout vanished instantly. "Ranma!!" she complained.

He tapped the page she had opened the book to. "Now take a look at the instructions below the ingredients."

Akane grumpily read the instructions to herself. "So?"

Ranma let that slide. "Also, maybe some people can get away without it, but the next thing we gotta do is organize yer cooking preparation."

"Huh?"

Ranma considered how to explain what he meant in a way she would accept as the noon-day crowds they scurried by. A waitress at the little cafe' finally got to their table and they ordered tea and dango, which was one of the cheapest things on the menu. Even then, they couldn't afford to do this often. An advertising truck rumbled by with scenes of some new samurai epic gave him an idea. "Answer me this, Akane: Does yer dad have old family weapons? And do ya help maintain them?"

Akane blinked. "Of course! Dad took me through all the steps of caring for his daisho and the… How does this relate to cooking?" she finished, suspiciously.

Ranma shrugged. "Think about it. When you go to clean an old blade like that, there's only one right way to do it, and ya have to treat it with respect. Ya don't treat a sword like a kitchen knife."

Akane giggled. "Although I suppose you _could_ treat a kitchen knife like a sword. I think my sister does." She thought of Kasumi and wondered if Ranma was really on to something. "And she _is_ the cook in the family…"

"If you say so. But I mean you don't just pull an old sword outa its saya (scabbard) and pour oil over it, then wipe it off with a paper towel. It just ain't done, not if ya have any respect for it at all."

"No," Akane nodded agreeing. "Daddy started teaching me how to care for real weapons when I was five. He told us to treat the blade with respect…"

—_flashback--_

_Soun knelt across from a five-year old Akane and six-year old Nabiki as he prepared to clean the longer of the family's daisho – the pair of swords that were part of their family's history as samurai. The sword lay on a pad, still in its ornate lacquered wooden sheath, between them. On the other side of the dojo, Kasumi and their mother were inventorying the other equipment, preparing to pass it to Soun for removal from their cases, inspection and maintenance. _

"_This blade has been carried and used with honor by our ancestors and that alone should make you treat it with respect. Act as you would when greeting an older and beloved family member on a formal occasion. Bow to it with respect, regard it with a careful eye, and care for it with gentle, reverent intent." His eyes twinkled as they glanced from him to the sword. They were obviously trying to equate this with the far less formal greetings they gave aunts, uncles and grandparents. _

—_end flashback—_

"Dad showed us how to examine a sword and maintain it," Akane said, remembering. How to hold it with the left hand as you examined the fittings, how to draw it slowly, pulling the sheath from the blade, pausing as you reached the tip, but refraining from examining the blade until it was fully drawn. How, using a soft cloth as a rest, you could sight down the blade's length like sighting a rifle…

"Everything was done in a certain way; and it had to be done _exactly_ that way, right?"

Akane nodded at Ranma's interruption of her reverie. "Traditionally speaking…"

Ranma snorted. "I ain't much for 'tradition'," he admitted. "I'm more a practical kind o' guy. But I learned that traditions usually happened when someone had an idea that worked." He grinned as Akane tried to look scandalized but failed.

"Now, when yer dad cleaned the sword, didn't he have everything he needed in a particular place in easy reach?"

"Of course!" Akane nodded. "But that isn't tradition; it's only common sense!"

"When you work on a sword, don't you need some soft cloths, limestone, an uchiko (a small ball for applying limestone powder), oil…"

"Clove oil," Akane corrected firmly and quickly.

Ranma grinned and shrugged. "That's the best, but getting all those things out and setting them up in easy reach is also part of the whole deal of maintaining the sword, ain't it?"

"Yesss…"

"Cooking's the same. Before ya cook, ya prepare. Divin' right in just wastes time and causes ya to make mistakes." He pointed to the pile of discarded cooking gear beside the blackened pot. "If you were cleaning a sword, ya wouldn't be jumping up and down getting' stuff then cleaning it partway before ya decided ya needed something else."

"Of course not!"

"Now, how did you start fixing the meal?"

Akane blinked, looked thoughtful.

oOo

They left early, to return to camp on Ranma's insistance. Unfortunately for Akane, cooking was still the topic of special training. He asked Akane to prepare to cook dinner - but not to start prparing it. He observed her as she started out slowly, but then began to speed up, making little noises of frustration. His strong hand reached out and captured her wrist as she began to line up with their largest cooking knife on some yams they had picked up on the way back.

"Ah- ah-ahhh! What was I sayin' before?" Disarming her carefully, he began to gently and efficiently slice the yams into even pieces. "Ya really don't need toa kill yer food before ya eat it - or at least not _these_." He took her through the steps of the recipe, demonstrating each step before handing the tools involved back to her to duplicate his movements. "I think, maybe you should make a really detailed note saying what you plan to do and check with me ahead of time. Ya know - sort of fill in teh gaps of how you would actually make teh meal using the recipe. And don't change anything once we both agree and it's down on paper." Ranma grinned as Akane glowered slightly, mirrored by P-chan who had surprisingly stayed at the campsite all day. Ranma nodded at the blackened pot. "Hell! Ya don't wanna do _that_ again, do ya? Though I suppose it would help if we could _skip_ winter… I guess if we time it right, your pot-rockets might push the whole planet closer to the sun…"

"_Ranma_!!"

He grinned as she — barely — restrained herself. "Ya know, just for fun, we're gonna try 'Wild Game Surprise' starting first thing tomorrow."

"Wild Game Surprise?"

"Yeah! We gather wild food! Plants, maybe a cony or a pheasant... Then we see if we can match it up to one of teh recipe's in the cookbook."

Akane blanched. "And if its edible, it's a surprise?"

Ranma shot her a dirty look.

oOo

"Why Wild Game Surprise, Ranma?" asked Akane first thing in the morning. "I mean, won't I have a harder time with food I've never tried to cook before?"

Ranma finished his stretches and prepared for their early morning spar. "You need incentive. I think you'll appreciate it more if ya hafta work for it." They faced off and bowed, then began searching for openings. "When ya do wild cooking, (dodge, feint) you hafta gather everything fresh and plan on what you want to use. Anything (punch, block, punch, sideslip) you gather will SPOIL (ranma leapt a leg sweep) since we don't have a refrigerator, and wasted work will teach faster than a _punch!_ to the gut…

Akane coughed, as she staggered away from a carefully calculated blow to the diaphragm. She kept her guard up though.

"Man, yer spunky," Ranma grinned admiringly. "Not a girly-girl at all!"

She grinned and came back at him with a pair of rapid-fire snap kicks aimed at his chin and then his knee. Ranma leaned away from the first then turned it into a handstand walkover to avoid the second. "If game is scarce, you learn to either eat what ya find on the spot."

"Oh?" Akane jerked up short as she avoided a little trap he had prepared for her expected rush then slipped and fell as a set of toes rocketed at the bridge of her nose. She rolled to one side to gain distance, cursing.

"Man, what a mouth! Definitely not a girly-girl!" He trapped her arm when she tried to punch him as she rose to her feet, flipped her and put her in a submission hold. He released her as soon as he felt her tighten up – she definitely didn't like grappling – and added, "You might screw up once or twice; but after you've taken a whole day to gather the ingredients for a meal, and then have to go to bed hungry… Once or twice is all that it'll take."

"You just watch my special cooking!" she snapped, her adrenaline making her brave.

"Gotta be better than yer swimming was," Ranma quipped. He made a show of ducking when she swung at him again, then grabbed the crescent kick she aimed at his breadbasket to hurl her through the air into the suggested activity. There was a huge splash, followed by the sound of churning water, accompanied by cursing. "And yer swimming's coming along just fine."

oOo

Later, they prepared to go a-gathering. Ranma promised to bring back the meat, and Akane, using samples of plants and roots Ranma wanted her to find, was to take care of the produce. It wasn't quite that simple, because Ranma had a bright idea. "Hey! Pigs are supposed to have a good sense of smell and can eat the same things humans can. Why don't we have P-chan lead the way?"

Ranma was in male form, so P-chan was less than cooperative for him when he tried to stick some chive in his face to give him 'the scent'. To Ranma's amusement, Akane sat the little pig down and explained in cutesy little terms just what they were trying to do. To Ranma's amazement, P-chan seemed to get the idea right away.

After being put down, he quickly located wild onions along the verge of the clearing. Instead of eating them, he went into point like a bird dog. Ranma tried to congratulate the little animal, which it dodged, followed by P-chan making a determined run at Ranma's ankles, which he 'mostly' dodged. Hopping quickly out of reach, Ranma watched Akane harvest the onions and scritch P-chan behind the ears with a look of (almost) jealousy.

"Heh!" Ranma controlled himself and evidenced a mask of coolness. "I'll leave you guys to that and come up with the main course."

Ranma had been hunting — poaching, many would call it — for the last five years of his young life. He had gotten very good at living on wild bounty, as his father had never been interested in working at any job for longer than it took to replace some necessary piece of equipment, and Ranma started objecting to his less than legal means of supplying their larder. Genma, after his initial objections, had acquiesced, mainly because Ranma was very good at hunting and food was, with only a few regional exceptions, more plentiful and far less trouble than stealing it. Ranma was a self-taught opportunist. He focused on whatever wild meat was most common in an area.

In this region, he had a wealth of choices.

Their stream ran merrily along its banks, under the railroad and emptied out into a sizeable lake only a few miles away. There were plenty of waterfowl, fish, and other wildlife, ready for a hunter of Ranma's skill to partake. And Ranma had developed a system for hunting under circumstances like these.

Most westerners would not think of hunting without some sort of projectile weapon in hand. The most primitive they might go would be the bow and arrow, highly refined by scientific method and material. That's fine for someone with the cash to spend on a needless hobby, regardless of their consumption of the result.

Ranma dealt with the problem on a more primitive level. He could, of course, have made a bow and a set of arrows. He was competent in the use of the Japanese long bow, as well as the short re-curved horse bow some people on the Asian mainland used. He was however unwilling make the investment of time and energy in such a tool when a simpler one would do as well.

In his hand was a device a casual observer might mistake for a homemade fishing rod. Made from a slender whip of sun-cured bamboo about three meters long, the far end had firmly fastened to it a cord somewhat heavier than one would expect for a fishing rod, about the twice the thickness of string used to tie up a parcel or fly a kite. The cord was perhaps half again as long as the pole. At the line's end, was a small weight; in this case, a heavy stone with a slightly narrow spot in its center that led itself to be restrained by a few loops and a tight knot on the cord. Ranma tentatively thought of it as a hunting whip. He was rather proud of it, as it was, as far as he knew, uniquely his creation.

Ranma trailed this contraption extended behind him as he silently stalked through the brush at the edge of the lake. If he could get within six meters of his selected target, he could lash out with deadly accuracy with his device, sending the weighted end at near supersonic speeds in any direction, horizontally or vertically, and at need, strike several times in quick succession. At the moment, his choice of prey was one of the fat ducks feeding on the grasses near the water's edge of the lake. Showing a natural inclination to stalk in a fashion that he would consider disturbingly catlike, he prepared to lash out at the nearest waterfowl.

Then he had a disturbing thought… They had seen Ryoga on and off since teh little incident in town, but never long enough to have any meaningful discussion. He was certain Ryoga had a Jusenkyo Curse. He was certain, Ryoga was in the area. The problem was:

What was Ryoga's curse?

oOo

Akane and P-chan were making arcs through the woods searching for edible vegetation. They had found more wild onions and, at P-chan's urging, Akane had gathered a fair amount of a succulent leaf, which she considered might go into a salad. Eventually, they discovered a half-dozen finger-long wild carrots. Akane was satisfied that they had, at least, contributed something to the celebratory meal.

She looked about then and realized something important.

"P-chan, do you know which direction the camp is?"

oOo

Ranma was getting irritated. He had let three different ducks come within range, and then depart, because he kept seeing some odd resemblance to the lost boy. The first one had wandered close in peculiarly circular arcs, as if it was unsure of where it was going. The second had been moody and aggressive, chasing other ducks away from choice bits of food. The third had been solidly in his sights… until it had looked left, then right, then reared up and flapping its wings cackling out a squawking gaggle that sounded to his ears as a duck-like "Where the hell am I now!"

Muttering imprecations, he waited for his chance while keeping an eye on those already called into question. Finally, a fat lazy-looking duck meandered close to where he was concealed. If that duck reminded him of anyone, it was his fat, panda-cursed father. No hesitation here, Ranma grinned ferociously. It would take a bloody act of the kami for _this _one to get away. Crouching faintly and leaning forward to better stabilize his strike, he kept his wrist and hand loose and flexible to maximize his accuracy. Power, as he so often reminded Akane, was not the issue here. Proper form would yield the desired result…

Then the 'hunting whip' was yanked from his grasp.

"What the hell?" The words were surprised out of Ranma's mouth and sent his selection of waterfowl scattering. Looking over his shoulder, he took umbrage at an energetic duck savaging his whip's trailing line, like a crow tugging at a worm. Suddenly, he knew… just _KNEW_... it couldn't be an accident! He recognized this duck! "_Ryoga_!!"

At his final exclamation, the duck finally noticed him, did a double-take, then lit out for the thick underbrush, quite intentionally retaining hold of this ridiculously long, tough worm he had found. Ranma dove for the whip and missed. "Dammit, Ryoga! Give me back my whip!" He dove after the retreating waterfowl.

oOo

Akane stamped her foot. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!" She looked frustrated and a little scared. None of the trees looked particularly familiar, and they had moved away from the stream some time ago. "You sure you can't like… sniff your way back, P-chan?" She looked hopefully at the little black pig.

P-chan blinked, then cast about. After circling a few times, he sat down looking grumpy. 'Damn! 'You'd think I'd gain something by being a pig, but noOOOooooo!' he whined to himself sarcastically.

Akane perked up suddenly. "I think I can hear a train. This way, P-chan!" She charged off, pushing through the undergrowth trying to find a familiar landmark before the train's passing allowed her to get disoriented again. As she ran, the sound of the train seemed to fade and change pitch, then cut off. 'What th…?' She slowed to a jog and stopped, P-chan at her heels. She listened carefully and could faintly hear the train, but it seemed to be from a completely different direction. She had no idea that she had been following the echoes of the train off a bare cliff face. Nor did either of them realize they had been traveling uphill. They were now at the wrong angle to the rock face to catch the fading echoes of the passing train, and even further from camp than they were before.

oOo

Ranma thrashed her way furiously through the underbrush. Though she hadn't been in the lake yet, the borders abounded with opportunities to get wet. The duck, smaller and full of the need for personal survival, would normally have escaped by now, but for some perverse reason it seemed determined to hang on to this extra-large super-deluxe 'worm' it had found. As it was, the drag of the line and pole behind it slowed it down to a speed comparable to the angry water-challenged teen.

Their progress was easily visible to the lone fisherman who sat quietly on his boat out in the lake, his eyes following the progressive meandering path of disturbed head-high underbrush. He sweat-dropped and decided it was none of his business.

"Damn you, Ryoga!" snarled Ranma as the branches whipped at her face and arms. "Is this your pay-back?!" She whined viciously in mockery of Ryoga: "Ran-ma! Because of _you_, _I've_ seen _hell_? _Loser!!_"

Three times she almost caught the shaft of her hijacked weapon. Three times the duck put on a burst of speed or dove into thicker brush that slowed its pigtailed pursuer down. In one instance the duck suddenly doubled back, flying in Ranma's face and pecking her as it came abruptly to a dead end. By the time the pigtailed girl had recovered, the duck was heading back the way they had come. Suddenly the fractured light and shadow of the thickets thinned as they neared the lake edge, and the duck found enough open space to take wing. Ahead of it, the thicket thinned to nothing at the lake's edge.

"Aaaaaaaahhh!!!" Ranma put on a burst of speed and leaped for the pole of her device. "Gotcha!!" she cried, just as it swung into space above a rather abrupt, five-meter drop-off to the water in the lake below.

"Awww, crap!!"

oOo

Akane pelted through the woods at high speed. If Ranma were here, they would probably be having roast pig for dinner, but she did not feel up to taking on the large hairy boar that pursued P-chan and herself. She held the little piglet tucked under her arm like an American football player and was making very good time, stiff-arming tree limbs out of their path. The boar was getting whipped by the branches as they sprang back, which was not alleviating its foul temper at all. They burst out of the woods into an immaculate oriental garden, with groomed lawns and carefully cultured trees.

The wild boar quickly gained on the sprinting girl, its heavy hooves tearing up sod like a cultivator. Akane used every bit of terrain to impede her pursuer and gain a few meters of space. Almost as if it had leaped in front of them, a tall fence of lacquered bamboo obstructed their escape.

So Akane jumped.

She didn't think about it; she simply did it, clearing the three-meter high obstacle like a deer jumping a fallen tree. As she cleared the barrier, she quickly noticed the small, kidney-shaped pool full of churning opaque water which was about to become her landing point. She vaguely noted the older man and woman, wrapped in towels who were about to enter said pool and the sharp bite of mineral salts in the warm moist air. Behind her, she heard the fence splinter under the impact of a large irate boar. "Awww, crap!!" she shrieked.

"BWEEEEEE!!" agreed P-chan, who noticed the water had steam wafting from its turbulent surface.

oOo

Ranma briefly tried to fly, then, considering her current cursed state, gave it up as a lost cause. She irately jerked on her 'hunting whip' the other end of which was held by 'that greedy duck, Ryoga' trying to make his getaway. This had the unintentional consequence of snapping the duck back into her face, where it defended itself, vigorously.

oOo

The boar charged as Akane desperately tried to escape the trap of the man-made onsen. P-chan was strangely heavier and didn't fit as neatly under her arm. The little pig didn't seem so little anymore and it was keeping her from maneuvering past the edge of the tub. Even with 150 kilograms of destruction leaping at her, she had to glance aside to make sure she wasn't hurting the little animal she carried. Eyes met eyes. 'Yes, P-chan…' she thought. 'He looks pale. Funny what you think about right before you die…' She tensed and screamed.

Ryoga whipped her aside and uppercut the raging boar into the stratosphere. "_Leave Akane alone_!" he roared. "Feh!" He turned away from the vanishing dot, once more reassured he was a man. "_Kami_! How I hate pigs!"

He turned and examined Akane where she sat, wide-eyed and stiff, half in and half out of the tub. "Are… are you alright, Akane?" he asked in hushed tones.

Her eyes suddenly snapped to focus and she shouted…

oOo

Ranma rose out of the knee-deep water, cursing like a sailor. Then she saw the feathered form floating lifelessly nearby. Her eyes went wide in horror and she shouted…

oOo

"**_RYOGA!!!_**"

Birds, resting in the trees, burst forth in panicked flight. A tiny intense dust-devil wafted grit and leaves in swirling patterns, bringing tears to one's eyes. A cloud briefly obscured the sun. The moment was an endless tragedy.

oOo

"_You're_ P-chan…"

Ryoga backed away, nervously stuttering, "Wha… what do you mean, Akane?" He glanced at their unintentional hosts and muttered, "A little help, here?" He quickly accepted a towel and climbed out the opposite side of the spa from Akane.

Akane, glaring, swung out of the spa and stood up, the water pouring off her to form a puddle beneath her feet, clothes clinging to her form. She stood there just a moment, fists clenched at her sides and, strangely to Ryoga, counting to herself while she took deep cleansing breaths. Her eyes flashed and she marched around the tub. Ryoga backpedaled, but not fast enough. She caught him by his bandanna.

"You. _Are_. P-Chan."

As he spluttered, she snatched up a chilled drink from a nearby table and doused him. "But wait! Akane, no! But – BwEEEEEEEEeeee!"

Akane gazed at him as he seemed to shrink all of a sudden, leaving the towel to drift unattended into the spa. "Ryoga," she said grimly. "You little pig…" She glanced up at their audience. "I'm terribly sorry for barging in, but we're lost. Could you point me in the direction of town?"

The man and the woman both wordlessly pointed east, further down-slope. Akane turned and caught just a hint of a high-rise and roadways a few miles in that direction.

"Thank you!" She smiled prettily and, turning, almost skipped in the direction they had pointed. She cleared the other side of the privacy fence with no problem and sped away, a little black pig dangling by its bandanna from one hand.

Behind her the couple finally found their voices. "Always said hot water made me feel human after a hard day's work."

"Yes," the woman nodded. She regarded the remaining drink suspiciously. "However I'm not sure I would be willing to test the opposite theory at the moment."

"I'll get fresh drinks," the man replied, picking up the remaining frosty glass and emptying it carefully through the new hole in the fence.

"I'll call Murimaki-san in the morning," the woman added. "Perhaps a bamboo-surfaced _concrete_ privacy fence would be more appropriate?"

"Sounds good to me," replied the man.

oOo

Akane made good time to the railway and followed it back to the stream. Without pause she marched back the well-worn path to their clearing. She set the little black pig firmly down, jarring him something fierce, and began preparing the fire pit. All the while she glared at Ryoga.

Ryoga was beginning to shake. What the hell was she going to do? Cook him? It was possible. He began to hope as she was proving unable to start the fire in her state of mind.

"ARRRRRRRrgh!?" Akane stopped mid-howl. Snapped a look of 'Don't you go anywhere' at the little pig, then found his pack. She dug through his things and finally pulled out his little propane gas stove. She fit one of the innocuous cans of fuel she had misappropriated the other evening and applied a match – Phomph!! She took his coffee pot to the pool, filled it and set it on the portable stove. Then she sat down to wait.

oOo

Ranma staggered along in shock. In her arms lay the corpse of the duck that had so bedeviled her. In her heart was a deep burning pain.

She'd killed him. Killed her friend. He was a dead… duck. She had to get some hot water – _had_ to! It wasn't right to lay him in the earth in his cursed form. It wasn't right…

oOo

Akane turned away as she dumped the steaming water over Ryoga. It was warm enough, not boiling yet, but as they were at a higher elevation, water boiled at lower temperatures, anyway. He changed and dove for the clothes in his pack blushing furiously. "It's all Ranma's fault," Ryoga accused as soon as he had his pants fastened. He yanked his shirt over his head in time for it to be used against him.

"Oh, really?" Akane had him by the collar, and he hadn't gotten his arms in the sleeves yet. "Did he tie you up and drag you with him to Jusenkyo?"

"Jusenkyo?" Ryoga was stunned. How did she know…? "He was there? That bastard! How dare he hide from me?"

_Bonk!_ He frowned at her, rubbing his head from the smart hammer-fist she'd delivered.

"Ryoga, I swear… He's in the same boat as you! Give him a break!"

"Same boat as… He's cursed?" Ryoga gawked for a second then looked smug. "Serves him right! What does he turn into? A slug? A baboon?" He laughed raucously till she thumped him again.

"You are not gaining much sympathy from me with an attitude like that, mister." Akane glared some more. "And when I tell him about your curse…"

"You _can't_!" Ryoga blurted, paling. In his mind's eye was Ranma, his cursed form rising out of ankle deep water, a huge talon reaching for the helpless little black pig. 'Looks tasty…' the apparition moaned.

"Huh?" Akane's wordless question broke his nightmare.

"It… It would… violate the warrior's code to reveal a weakness like that to an enemy!" finished Ryoga desperately.

"Ryoga? Warrior's code?" Akane was honestly puzzled. "But he's my sensei."

"B-b-but you have no idea what he's like!" Ryoga's eyes grew wide. "You and Ranko, out here alone… Oh, kami! The perversions he might attempt on your innocent bodies-!" (Ahhh… Let's _not_ go into his imaginings here.)

Akane's eyes narrowed. "Speaking of which…" _BAM!_ "…That's for snuggling up against my chest when I was holding you, you pig!"

Ryoga blinked away stars and pondered the depression he was reclining in. "I-I-I snu-snuggled against your…?"

He passed out, leaving Akane irritated and frustrated for lack of information. She knelt down and began slapping his cheeks, letting each blow get progressively stronger as he didn't respond. Finally…

"Ow! Enouvb! Enouvb alwedy!"

Akane sat back as he struggled out of his comatose state. His face was swollen, but he was conscious again.

"Pervert," Akane snorted.

"Ah yam _noh_ a perverh!!" Ryoga protested, gingerly touching his tender balloon-like cheeks.

"Hmph!" Akane was obviously doubtful. She turned a steely gaze on him. "Now…"

Ryoga flinched. "Wha?"

"You are going to help me find more veggies for dinner," she said, then added leaning close and focusing her glare to laser-like intensity. "_Right_?"

"Okay," he squeaked. Then realizing how embarrassing that sounded, he tried to pitch his voice deeper and attempted a more masculine (and assertive) tone. He set himself, took a deep breath, looked her in the eye and said… _SPLOOSH!_ "Bweeeee!"

Pig and girl stared at one another.

Akane smirked. "Be good and your secret's safe."

Ryoga/Pchan sighed and threw in the towel. It was for _her_ dinner, after all.

oOo

Ranma stumbled into an empty campsite, the bedraggled duck cradled in her arms. She staggered drunkenly over to the kettle on the camp stove, not even vaguely curious about why it was set up, or why the water was still warm. She ignored the pain from the hot metal and poured it liberally over the deceased bird. It did not transform. The splash of hot water soaked the redhead's shirt and trousers, transforming her to 'him', but did nothing for the duck, as, after all, water runs _off_ a duck's back.

Reigniting the little can of fuel, Ranma impatiently waited for water to boil in their biggest remaining pot, then attempted to squeeze two-kilograms of bird into a liter can of water, just to make sure that he overcame a duck's back's natural aversion to said element. But it was to no avail. "Dammit!!" He yanked the duck back out of the can and shook it. "Why don't you change back? _Why_?" He knelt there, trembling, face contorting into patterns unused for years.

"No… I will not…" he gasped, chest tightening. Convulsively, he lurched over to the pool and slapped the cold water in his face.

"Dammit…" the redhead staggered back over to the dead duck. "It's not any easier this way. D-Damn you, Ryoga…"

Ranma in his female form began to silently weep.

oOo

Akane stopped and looked about. She carefully fixed the landmarks in her memory and kept one eye on the wayward Ryoga/P-chan, who was casting about looking for additions to the menu. But it was getting late and they would have to retrace their steps or get lost again. She grimaced. They had enough for garnishing whatever Ranma provided, but not much else. Rats.

Ryoga suddenly sat down and cocked his head. His head turned left then right and he 'bweed' in alarm.

"Behind you, Ryoga!" exclaimed Akane sharply. The little black pig turned his head and looked over his shoulder. She could almost see the embarrassed look that passed over his face. "Did you find something?"

The little black pig cocked his head and swiveled back to face the other way. His ears seemed to quiver.

Akane shivered. "It's not that boar again, is it?" She watched his little head shake in the negative. "Okay… What is it, then?

Ryoga shrugged and moved forward, cautiously. Akane followed. Soon they saw the flicker of flame through the gathering darkness. The tiny fire haloed a shadowy lump in a nimbus of loose red hair.

"Ran-?"

"OH, _AKANE_!!" The last thing Akane had expected was the sobbing mess of a redhead that staggered toward her.

"Oh, MY!!" Akane grabbed the forlorn Ranma and steadied her. "What happened to you?"

"I… I…" She stared, huge-eyed, at Akane from the horror of it.

"You… You weren't… Were you?" Akane had her own horrors, and only one really fit the expression before her. Somehow, despite his… _her_ skill, Ranma had been…!

"I _killed_ him!"

Akane was almost relieved. Then she did a double-take. "Who?"

"I k-killed hi-hi-himmmm…"

"_Who_?"

"KIIIIILLLLLL-ed him!"

"_WHO_, dammit?"

"Hi-hi-himmm…"

Akane slapped her. "GET A GRIP!!" she screamed. _WHACK!!_

"_Wh-wh-who?" _asked Ranma, shocked as she attempted to reposition her jaw.

"That's what I was asking, baka!!" Akane growled.

"Hoo-Hoooo!" came the call of an owl.

"Don't _you_ start!" Akane snapped, looking into the darkness. She turned back to Ranma only to find the redhead huddled by the fire again, mumbling to herself. "Now, who did you kill?"

Ranma whispered in a tiny voice, "Ryoga…"

Akane fell over. Extracting herself from her face-plant she shot a glance at 'P-chan' who was staring at the redhead in horror. She settled herself and asked gently, "And why do you think you killed him?"

"Ki-ki…"

"Don't make me slap you," the dark-haired girl growled. Ranma swallowed and composed herself. "I repeat myself: _why_ do you think you killed him?"

"The d-duck!" Ranma choked out. "It was… He was… I'm pretty sure that was Ryoga." Suddenly both fists punched the ground between them, creating a crater. "And I couldn't even change him back!"

Akane composed herself, brushed off the clods of dirt thrown up by Ranma's action and rose. She walked around the small crater and bopped the distraught gender-swapper on the head.

"Owww!" Ranma cradled her head. "Wadja do that for?"

"You didn't kill Ryoga."

"But…"

"_Trust_ me. You didn't kill Ryoga."

Ranma glared. "Wadya mean I didn't kill Ryoga?" The redhead pointed to the dead duck. "He's right there!" The fact that P-chan was sitting in the same direction didn't help.

Akane dithered for a second, trying to hide a smirk at the pig's wide-eyed look. "The _duck_," she carefully emphasized, "is _not_ Ryoga. Trust me on that."

"And how would _you_ know?"

"I, uh… met him while I was gathering vegetables."

Ranma went totally silent. Her blue eyes seemed almost too large for her face. She began to sputter, as if, Akane suddenly realized, her sensei suddenly had to justify her emotional investment and tears.

"Bu-bu-but," Ranma waved her arms around, her face twisting with a mixture of hope and horror. "He might have left you and shown up…"

"No, Ranma. I even know what his curse is; and he's _not_ a duck."

"He's not?"

"No." She smiled as the reply seemed to momentarily stifle the other girl. Kneeling again, she beckoned P-chan over.

Suddenly Ranma began to sputter and curse sounding almost like an overlarge housecat dunked in a rain bucket. "You mean I spent hours worrying…! And I was cuh, cuh…"

"Crying?" the brunette asked pleasantly.

"No! Worried! I was worried I had killed the baka by accident! Yeah!"

"Uh-huh…"

"It's true!"

"Really now?"

"Damn straight! I mean, if I had _meant_ to kill him, it would be one thing," Ranma half-boasted.

"I see."

Ranma cast about for a change of subject. Getting emotional was not what she had been brought up to consider a manly attribute and 'his' masulinity felt distinctly threatened. The hot water was spilled all over the ground. Finally the redhead picked up the duck. It dangled bonelessly from her hand. "You know how to clean one of these?"

Akane grimaced. "Feel free to show me, sensei!" she said, bowing from where she had knelt back down. The lesson continued.

oOo

As the moon rose high, Ranma, who had returned to his birth-form, Akane, and a little black pig sat around the fire as the duck carcass roasted over the fire. The herbs and vegetables were nestled inside the duck as a sort of stuffing and the two human participants took turns turning the spit to maintain an even heat on the meat.

Ranma growled at the pig as it had once again taken a cheap shot at him when it realized that 'Ranko' had disappeared. "You just keep that up, smart boy, and I know where you'll be," he threatened, pointing to the spit.

"Ranma!" Akane chided as Ryoga retreated behind her. "And right after you were so upset about 'killing' Ryoga!"

"Yeah, yeah… Ya know I don't really mean it." They were by unspoken mutual agreement, silent for a while.

"So…" Ranma said carelessly. "What is he?"

"What is who?" prevaricated Akane. The night was quite peaceful and she wanted it to stay that way. Her cooking, with major aid from her sensei, looked like it was about to bear fruit, and she was very hungry.

"You know. Ryoga is who. So what is he?"

Akane sighed deeply. "Alright…"

Behind her Ryoga jerked and whimpered. 'She's gonna tell!! I'm dead!!'

Akane looked down at her hands. "You're my sensei, so I'll have to ask your guidance on this."

Ranma stared, almost stopping his turning of the spit, but quickly recovered. "Um… sure. If I can. I suppose…" He kicked himself mentally for fumbling the issue.

"Ryoga asked me, on my honor as a martial artist, not to reveal his weakness to his rival." She clasped her hands together. "And while I don't entirely agree with his reasoning, he did help me out of a bad situation when a wild boar came after me."

"Really? A wild boar?" Ranma was interested. "How big?"

"Big enough to be really, _really_ scary!"

"So you feel an obligation?"

"Yes," Akane admitted softly.

"Alright." They had been catching the drippings from the roasting bird and reapplying them to keep the meat moist. "I'm cool. It's only right that rivals fight man-to-man." He nodded almost nobly, his features chiseled by the light of the fire. He reached out and tested the meat, poking it with his knife. "And I think we're finally done."

"Finally!" echoed Akane with a sigh, as he lifted the bird off the uprights and carefully slid it onto the grass mat he had shown her how to weave for that purpose. "I never realized how much effort went into making dinner."

The pigtailed boy snorted. As he quickly extracted the vegetables and broke down the carcass, the moon rose high in a sky above them only partly obscured by clouds and the haze of lights from the nearby city. "Damn near freakin' midnight," he grumbled as he finished. "Itadakimasu!"

"Itadakimasu!" Akane repeated as she picked up her chopsticks and set to. Beside them, P-chan fed as well, relieved at having cooked food for a change, even if he was a little pig at the moment. The veggies were a little overcooked, the meat was dry and tough, but it tasted wonderful! And, at least in part, Akane's work. Life was good.

Then Ranma asked, wheedling, "About Ryoga… Can ya give me a hint?"

"NO!!"


End file.
